Most investors know that feeling of pride when your portfolio’s in the green.
Some even know about the rush of posting a screenshot of those profits.
“Yeah, Janice, remember when you ghosted me in middle school? Well, look at me now!! Sure, I’m still a little weird… but weird and rich, okay??”
That kind of vibe.
There’s this side of flexing profits. But there’s also the much, much darker and chilling side.
The side that Alena Vranova, founder of SatoshiLabs, talked about at the Baltic Honeybadger 2025 conference in Latvia:
“Every week, there is a Bitcoiner, at least one in the world, who gets kidnapped, tortured, extorted, and sometimes even worse.”
And if you’re like, “Relaaax, I’m not some Bitcoin millionaire from 2013. Who would bother with me?” – that’s the worst part. They would.
Alena says this isn’t just a rich BTC OG problem – people have been kidnapped over as little as $6K worth of crypto.
And how do the criminals even know you’ve got Bitcoin?
That screenshot. Because you randomly told some guy at the bar.
Also, because of data leaks from centralized crypto exchanges, which collect sensitive user info to comply with KYC laws.
Scared? Don’t panic.
Instead, use that energy to protect yourself:
👉 Keep it boring online and offline – don’t post balances, wallet addresses, or profit screenshots. No “I made [insert amount] in Bitcoin” talks with strangers.
👉 Limit exposure – use exchanges and services that require less personal data where legally possible, and avoid linking your real identity to wallets or accounts.
👉 Separate and secure funds – store most crypto in cold storage, keep a smaller hot wallet for trading, and enable 2FA + withdrawal whitelists.
👉 Clean your digital footprint – Google yourself, search your usernames, and delete old posts that might give away any financial info.
👉 Stay physically safe – be mindful of your home security (use safes, locks, and alarms). When traveling, don’t carry seed phrases or devices in obvious places.
Because, you know, crypto gains are great. But actually being there to enjoy them is better. Security beats clout – every. single. time!
Now you’re in the know. But think about your friends – they probably have no idea. I wonder who could fix that… 😃🫵
Spread the word and be the hero you know you are!
