In the world of crypto, security is often framed in terms of passwords, private keys, cold wallets, and multisigs. But there’s another dimension that too many overlook until it’s too late: physical security. If you’re reading this, you probably already know someone—or have heard of someone—who lost millions in a moment. Not to a hacker halfway around the world, but to a knock at the door. A crowbar. A threat. A lapse in judgment.
“If you don’t consider yourself a target, then you already are one.”
This isn’t paranoia. It’s just math. Crypto wealth has made many people rich overnight, but it’s also made many of them visible—and vulnerable. And unlike traditional banking, there’s no “freeze account” button when someone’s standing in your living room demanding your seed phrase.
The Thief Doesn’t Care If You’re Flashy or Humble
We’ve all seen the stories. Influencers flaunting their wealth online, flashing Rolexes and Lambos, broadcasting their latest NFT buy or DeFi score. And inevitably, some get robbed. Kidnapped. Doxxed. Swatted. That’s what happens when you paint a bullseye on your back.
But here’s the part most people miss: you don’t have to flaunt to be targeted.
Sometimes it’s the quiet ones—the ones who never tweet, never post selfies, who live modestly and think they’re under the radar—who end up caught off-guard. Because being humble doesn’t make you invisible. Being modest doesn’t make you safe. Information leaks in strange ways. A friend of a friend. A careless conversation. A purchase history. A public record. A delivery address.
The danger doesn’t discriminate between “old money” and “new money.” In fact, new money often makes more noise, but old money tends to forget how much the world has changed.
Old Money Moves Quiet
There’s a reason old money builds estates with gates and cameras, lives behind layers of trust and anonymity, and teaches its heirs to be understated. It’s not just about style—it’s about preservation. There’s a kind of quiet power in not being seen.
New wealth—especially in crypto—tends to broadcast. It wears the hoodie and the Bugatti like armor, not realizing it makes them more vulnerable, not less. But it’s not just about public behavior. It’s about habits.
Security isn’t a one-time investment. It’s a lifestyle.
Protect Yourself in Layers
Here’s what “security” should mean in a crypto context:
- OpSec: Don’t talk about your holdings. Ever. Especially not casually, or socially. Assume every conversation is on the record.
- Physical Security: Cameras. Locks. Dogs. Alarms. Secure homes. Even panic rooms in some cases. You are your own vault.
- Digital Hygiene: Cold wallets, multisigs, hardware keys. Never reuse passwords. Don’t keep your seed phrase in your notes app. Delete Breadcrumbs.
- Legal Structure: Trusts. Legal wrappers. You don’t have to “own” what you control.
- Anonymity: If people know your name, they shouldn’t know your assets. If they know your assets, they shouldn’t know your location.
You Don’t Get to Choose the Threat
The point is: You are a target whether you accept it or not. Whether you live in a high-rise or a rural cabin. Whether you drive a Prius or a Porsche. It’s not about what you show—it’s about what you hold. And in the crypto world, what you hold can make you a target overnight.
So ask yourself: would you rather act like new money and be surprised when the wolves come? Or carry yourself like old money—low-key, strategic, and hard to find?
The smart move is simple: never give anyone a reason to look twice.
Because the people who flaunt? They’re obvious targets.
But the ones who think they’re safe?
They’re often the first to fall.
📘 UNDERMINED by Brian Oakes — A True Story of Crypto, Catastrophe, and Clawing Back
If you think this blog was intense, wait until you read what really happened.
In December 2020, my life changed in ten minutes. Hackers breached my cell provider, pulled off a SIM swap, and stole over 500 Bitcoin—more than $31 million—right out from under me. UNDERMINED is the unfiltered story of how it happened, what I lost, and what came next.
From gold panning to crypto mining, I built a quiet fortune and never spent a cent. Then it was all gone. Worse still? Days later, my wife Brandi was diagnosed with breast cancer. This book isn’t just about Bitcoin. It’s about betrayal, rage, resilience—and fighting giants like AT&T in court while rebuilding a life from ashes.
UNDERMINED rips open the hidden world of SIM swaps, crypto theft, and personal collapse—and what it takes to survive both financial and emotional devastation.
📖 It’s not fiction. It’s what happens when you think you’re safe.
