But Didi Taihuttu; his wife, Romaine; three daughters, and Teddy, a Pomeranian puppy they adopted in Portugal last year, are as confident as ever in their bet on bitcoin — they’re just changing how they store it.
Ever since liquidating all of their assets and buying bitcoin in 2017 back when it was trading at around $900, the Taihuttus have safeguarded their crypto riches in three main places: centralized exchanges, or CEXs, such as Bybit and Kraken; decentralized exchanges, or DEXs, such as Uniswap; and hardware wallets hidden in secret vaults on four different continents. But as digital asset brokers, lenders, and exchanges continue to fall into bankruptcy — locking up customer funds in the process — the Dutch family of five is proactively moving $1 million in crypto into DEXs, which allow users to hang on to custody of their tokens.
“For me, bitcoin is still about freedom, and decentralized currency should be able to be used by everyone in the world without needing to do KYC or any other regulatory stuff,” Taihuttu told CNBC, referring to the know-your-customer, or KYC compliance, required by many centralized platforms such as Coinbase. DEXs don’t require users to connect an ID or bank account to the platform, hence making it an ideal custody solution for the Taihuttus.
The Taihuttu family in Lagos, Portugal on the day they adopted Teddy, their Pomeranian puppy.
Didi Taihuttu
CNBC caught up with the 44-year-old patriarch a few days after the family made the move from Lagos, Portugal, to Phuket, an island just off the western coast of mainland Thailand in the Andaman Sea. The family is currently living on 0.3 bitcoin a month — about $5,000 — and they are buying back the bitcoin that they sold when the cryptocurrency was trading at around $55,000 a year ago. For the Taihuttus, the cascade of crypto bankruptcies and failed tokens just shows that “bitcoin is the king” and “completely different than all the other projects.”
While the Taihuttus did not have any tokens tied up with FTX, Celsius, Voyager Digital, or any of the other platforms that recently went under, the wave of failures did remind them of the importance of ownership.
In crypto, one of the mantras is “not your keys, not your coins,” meaning that rightful possession of tokens comes through the custody of the corresponding private keys. DEXs such as Uniswap and SushiSwap are peer-to-peer platforms where transactions happen directly between traders, entirely cutting out intermediaries such asbanks and brokers. That means that users retain custody of their tokens by never handing over their private keys.
DEXs eliminate centralized intermediaries from financial transactions such as trading, holding and transferring assets through programmable pieces of code known as smart contracts. These contracts are written on a public blockchain such as ethereum, and execute when certain conditions are met, negating the need for a central intermediary. In essence, with DEXs, you trust code, and with CEXs, you trust people.
“You never send your bitcoin to an exchange. Your bitcoin stays in your own wallet, meaning you have complete custody of your coins,” explained Taihuttu. “You connect to a DEX, and by making that connection, you trade out of your own wallet.”
That nuance of ownership is critical.
“If the DEX collapses, it doesn’t matter, because the bitcoin are always in your own wallet,” he added.
Changing their storage strategy
From the beginning, Taihuttu said he could tell something was “really off” with FTX, even though it was one of the biggest CEXs on the planet before it imploded in November.
“Too many influencers were paid too much money to promote that one,” said Taihuttu, who added that reliable crypto products and companies typically don’t rely so heavily on celebrity endorsements.
The Dutch father of three had learned his lesson in 2017, when he lost four bitcoin to a hack of a centralized exchange known as Cryptopia.
“From that moment, I was always searching for alternatives,” he explained.
The Taihuttu family in the Netherlands.
Didi Taihuttu
People who choose to hold their own cryptocurrency can store it “hot,” “cold,” or some combination of the two. A hot wallet is connected to the internet and allows owners relatively easy access to their coins so they can spend their crypto. The trade-off for convenience is potential exposure to bad actors.
“Cold storage often refers to crypto that has been moved to wallets whose private keys — the passwords that enable the crypto to be moved out of the wallet — are not stored on internet-connected computers, so that hackers can’t hack into the computer and steal the private keys,” said Philip Gradwell, chief economist of Chainalysis, a blockchain data firm.
Thumb drive-size devices such as a Trezor or Ledger offer a way to secure crypto tokens “cold.” Square is also building a hardware wallet and service “to make bitcoin custody more mainstream.” The Taihuttu family has largely relied on cold storage to safeguard their tokens for the last six years.
Currently, the Taihuttus keep 27% of their crypto holdings “hot” on centralized exchanges such as Bybit, a platform Taihuttu said is transparent and backed by real assets. He also keeps some tokens on Kraken, since it is one of the oldest exchanges. He refers to this crypto stash as his “risk capital,” and he uses these crypto coins for day trading and potentially precarious bets.
The other 73% of Taihuttu’s total crypto portfolio is in cold storage. These cold hardware wallets, which are spread around the globe, hold bitcoin, ether and some litecoin.
Didi Taihuttu in a desert in Dubai.
Didi Taihuttu
The family declined to say how much it holds in crypto, but they did disclose that they are shifting $1 million worth of bitcoin, ether, litecoin, polkadot, and other tokens from these hardware wallets and centralized exchanges to decentralized exchanges.
Taihuttu said he ultimately wants to move 100% of the family’s crypto savings into DEXs and invest 15% of their net worth into upstart DEXs since he sees these decentralized platforms as the centerpiece of the next bull run. When asked why he is going all in on DEXs instead of keeping his crypto cold, Taihuttu pointed to ease of access.
DEXs allow him to connect the crypto he safeguards on thumb drives in hiding spots all over the world directly to the platform, meaning that he can make trades far more easily while still protecting his tokens.
“Our capital now is really difficult to use in trading, because then I need to send my bitcoin from my ledger into an exchange,” Taihuttu said.
The financial privacy offered by DEXs is also a huge incentive.
“You’re trading from an anonymous ledger on an exchange as an anonymous entity,” he said. “You get full access to non-KYC trading in a decentralized way on a DEX.”
Taihuttu isn’t alone in shifting his focus to DEXs.Following the FTX bankruptcy, Trezor’s sales revenue reportedly jumped 300% and billions of dollars in bitcoin fled exchanges. Meanwhile, Multicoin Capital, a crypto investment firm, told limited partners that 7% of its assets are similarly stored cold, in self-custodied wallets.
Didi Taihuttu and two of his daughters on a boat trip in Portugal.
Didi Taihuttu
The pros and cons of DEXs
Centralized exchanges are a big part of what helped spur crypto adoption by offering new investors an easy on-ramp.
“Centralized exchanges have played a vital role in the adoption of cryptocurrency,” saidAuston Bunsen, co-founder of QuikNode, which provides blockchain infrastructure to developers and companies. “With their growth came the industry’s growth.”
But in the last few years, and especially in the last six months, decentralized exchanges have grown in popularity as investors look to trade in a manner that protects their funds.
Boaz Sobrado, a London-based fintech data analyst, sees three main advantages to DEXs: they are noncustodial, meaning you don’t have to trust someone, like Sam Bankman-Fried, to store your funds for you; they are open, meaning anyone in the world can participate; and transaction data is more widely available, reducing the risk of insiders getting an edge from knowledge only they have.
Didi Taihuttu in Lagos, Portugal.
Didi Taihuttu
Uniswap has facilitated more than $1 trillion in trading volume from around 100 million trades since it launched in 2018, according to a research note from Bank of America on June 13. Rival DEXs such as SushiSwap and PancakeSwap have also gained traction among traders, though Uniswap still accounts for around 51% of all trading volumes on DEXs year to date.
While DEXs play an important role in the digital asset ecosystem, there are a lot of reasons these decentralized platforms won’t eclipse their centralized peers any time soon, according to Alkesh Shah, Bank of America‘s head of web3, crypto and digital assets strategy.
“Centralized exchanges provide a one-stop shop for investing or trading digital assets with someone to speak to if something goes wrong — this will be critical for mainstream adoption beyond the early adopters of today,” Shah told CNBC.
Shah said that investors are likely to prefer exchanges that are more transparent about their operating practices, adding that regulated and transparent CEXs are likely to be important for mainstream adoption long-term.
Bank of America said in its June note that it expected Uniswap, in particular, to face regulatory scrutiny. The bank said it also saw the potential for the Securities and Exchange Commission to require its registration as a National Securities Exchange or broker-dealer.
Didi Taihuttu and his eldest daughter, Joli.
Didi Taihuttu
“Uniswap may be unable to comply with regulatory requirements, given its inability to verify user identities, implement AML/KYC [anti-money laundering/know your customer] requirements or provide the necessary disclosures for the thousands of tokens listed on its platform,” the research note said.
Some centralized platforms are splitting the difference by offering DEX-type services, but it is unclear what sort of regulatory blowback they might ultimately face.
Meanwhile, Sobrado told CNBC that at this stage, most DEXs lose money, meaning they might not be sustainable.
DEXs are also automated market makers, meaning that the exchange pools liquidity from its users and then uses an algorithm to price the assets within that pool. Sobrado said that this model has proven remarkably resilient — but is unproven versus orderbook exchanges such as Coinbase.
Under it all, the Bitcoin Family still believes that the original cryptocurrency is a solid bet. They say they haven’t been swayed by the turmoil of the last six months.
“We seem to get that lesson every bitcoin cycle,” said Taihuttu. “It was Mt. Gox, it was banning bitcoin in China, it was banning mining. There’s drama every time.”
“But looking at the current situation: We have a huge war going on, we have a huge financial crisis, we have FTX, we have Celsius, we have a lot of bear market signals,” he said. “I think that bitcoin is really holding strong at $16,800. For me, bitcoin is still doing perfect and still doing what it always does: Being a decentralized currency that is usable by all people all over the world.”
Didi Taihuttu giving a speech on bitcoin adoption in Tulum, Mexico.
Fossil fuels just hit a record low in the US electricity mix last month, while solar and wind soared to all-time highs, according to fresh data from global energy think tank Ember.
In March 2025, fossil fuels accounted for less than 50% – 49.2% – of electricity generated for the first month on record. This beats the previous monthly record low of 51% set in April 2024.
“This clearly demonstrates the growing role of wind and solar in the US energy system,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior analyst at global energy think tank Ember. “This is a first signal that the US is approaching a tipping point where clean power takes the lead over fossil generation, and where the importance of coal and gas inevitably starts to fade.”
What this means is that clean energy generated more than half – 50.8% – of US electricity for the first month on record. The record was driven by a surge in wind and solar power, which hit a new high of 24.4% of US electricity in March 2025.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
In March 2025, US solar increased an astonishing 37% (+8.3 TWh) compared to March 2024. Wind increased by 12% (+5.7 TWh). Together, wind and solar reached an all-time high, generating 83 TWh of US electricity, 11% higher than the previous record of 75 TWh set in April 2024. Fossil fuel generation fell by 2.5% (-4.3 TWh) compared to March 2024.
The milestone is the result of a long-term decline of fossil generation in the US power sector, with wind and solar growing substantially over the last decade. In March 2015, fossil generation still provided 65% of US electricity generation. Wind and solar generation stood at just 5.7%. Since then, the share of wind and solar power has more than quadrupled.
“Wind and solar power are pushing fossil fuels out of the mix,” said Fulghum. “The reality on the ground is not one of a return to fossil fuels in the US, it’s the continued growth of solar and wind power that will be the dominant driver of electricity generation growth in the US.”
Solar power is set to account for more than half of new generating capacity installed in the US in 2025, with more than a third of new solar panels going to Texas. Solar adoption has exploded in just a decade. In March 2015, solar power accounted for just 1% of US electricity generation. By March 2025, it’s grown to 9.2%.
Last month, Ember published the report “US Electricity 2025,” which covered changes and trends in the US power sector in 2024. Solar was the fastest and largest growing source of electricity in the US in 2024. Wind and solar combined rose to a record 17% of the US electricity mix in 2024, overtaking coal for the first time, which accounted for 15%.
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check outEnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get startedhere. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Lease deals get all the hype, but most people still want to own the car after they’re done making all those payments on it. If that sounds like you, and you’ve been waiting for the interest rates on auto loans to drop, you’re in luck: there are a bunch of great plug-in cars you can buy with 0% financing and at pre-tariff prices this April!
In the end, I went with alphabetical order, by make, so you’ll find out more about Ford and Nissan’s approach to the new market reality when you get to them. And, as for which deals are new this month? You’re just gonna have to read the article. Enjoy!
Acura ZDX
2024 Acura ZDX; via Acura.
Manufactured in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the 2024 Acura ZDX uses a GM Ultium battery and drive motors, but the styling, interior, and infotainment software are all Honda. That means you’ll get a solidly-built EV with GM levels of parts support and Honda levels of fit, finish, and quality control. All that plus Apple CarPlay and (through April 30th) 0% financing for up to 72 months makes the ZDX one the best sporty crossover values in the business.
2023 Chrysler Pacific (it’s the same); via Stellantis.
When the plug-in hybrid version of the Chrysler Pacifica minivan first went on sale all the way back in 2016, it seemed to imply that the old Chrysler Corporation was going to race ahead of the other Big Three US carmakers.
That didn’t happen, but the Pacifica is still the king of cupholders, while the van’s stow n’ go seating, and all the other practical, clever details that add up to remind you Chrysler invented these things – and through April 30th, you can get 0% financing for up to 72 months on 2025 MY examples of this made-in-Canada plug-in hybrid and cover up to 32 miles of your daily driving needs on the clean, pure power of electrons.
In addition to employee pricing, 2024 Mustang Mach-Es continue to offer 0% APR financing for up to 72 months. That offer appears to be stackable with $2,500 in bonus cash, too, and Tesla owners and lessees can also score $1,000 in conquest cash for up to $3,500 off.
GMC HUMMER EV
GMC HUMMER EV Pickup; via GMC of Rochester.
The biggest of the Ultium-based EVs, these Hamtramck, Michigan-built machines are seriously impressive EVs, with shockingly quick acceleration and on-road handling that seems to defy the laws of physics once you understand that these are, essentially, medium-duty trucks. If you’re a fan of heavy metal (and plastic), you’ll definitely want to stop by your local GMC dealer and give the rugged GMC HUMMER EV a test drive.
Honda Prologue
Honda Prologue; via Honda.
Manufactured alongside its GM siblings at the Ramos Arizpe plant in Coahuila, Mexico, the hot-selling Honda Prologue pairs GM’s excellent Ultium platform with Honda sensibilities and Apple CarPlay to create a winning combination.
If you’ve been holding off, we’ve got good news: there’s still a few remaining 2024 models in dealer inventory out there. To make room for the 2025 models, Honda is offering 0% APR for up to 72 months on the remaining 2024s.
The ultra-efficient Hyundai IONIQ 6 is one of the most compelling Model 3 competitors out there – but that could change if the Korean-built sedan gets hit with heavy tariffs. To make sure that doesn’t happen, Hyundai is investing tens of billions of dollars into a US manufacturing base, creating new American jobs and ensuring (kinda) that it can continue to deliver real value to its customers.
Through April 30th, you can get 0% interest on just about every new EV you’ll find on your Kia dealer’s lot (minus 2025 Kia EV6 models). Click the links below to find yours.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
2025 Outlander PHEV; via Mitsubishi.
One of the first three-row plugin cars to hit the market, Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV has always presented a strong value proposition with up to 38 miles of electric range from its 20 kWh li-ion battery and room for seven (in a pinch), making it a great “lily pad” vehicle for suburban families who want to drive electric but still worry about being able to find a charging station when they need one.
That might change when the tariffs take full effect, however – so if you’re looking for an affordable 7-passenger plug-in with a great safety rating at a reasonably affordable price, act fast.
Nissan Ariya
2024 Nissan Ariya; via Nissan.
I’ve already said that the Nissan Ariya didn’t get a fair shake. If you click that link, you’ll read about a car that offers solid driving dynamics, innovative interior design, and all the practicality that makes five-passenger crossovers the must-haves they’ve become for most families. Now, Nissan is slashing prices across the line as their competitors are raising theirs, making the case for the Ariya even stronger than before.
With great discounts available at participating dealers, Supercharger access, and 0% interest from Nissan for up to 72 months on both 2024 and 25 MY Ariya EVs.
Toyota bZ4X
Toyota bZ4X; via Toyota.
Built in Toyota City, Japan, the bZ4X EV is a capable, dependable crossover with room for five and Toyota’s reputation for reliability and longevity to boot. With 0% financing and big discounts on both 2024 and 2025 models, the bZ4X might be the best deal on your local Toyota dealer’s lot.
Volkswagen ID.4
VW ID.4; via Volkswagen.
One of the most popular legacy EVs, the ID.4 offers Volkswagen build quality and (for 2024) a Chat-GPT enabled interface. To keep ID.4 sales rolling, VW dealers are getting aggressive with discounts, making this fast-charging, 291 mile EPA-rated range, 5-star safety rated EV a value proposition that’s tough to beat.
This month, get a Volkswagen ID.4 fresh from the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant with 0% financing for up to 72 months plus a $5,000 customer cash bonus on remaining 2024 models to stack with it.
Disclaimer: the vehicle models and financing deals above were sourced from CarsDirect, CarEdge, CarFax, USNews, and (where mentioned) the OEM websites – and were current as of 03APR2025. These deals may not be available in every market, with every discount, or for every buyer (the standard “with approved credit” fine print should be considered implied). Check with your local dealer(s) for more information.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
The Phillips 66 Company’s Los Angeles Refinery in California.
Bing Guan | Reuters
The oil price outlook is being hit with more bearish forecasts on the back of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping and market-hammering tariff announcements. Businesses and investors worry that a trade war and lower global growth lies ahead.
Goldman Sachs on Thursday reduced its December 2025 forecasts for global and U.S. benchmarks Brent crude and WTI by $5 to $66 and $62 a barrel, respectively, “because the two key downside risks we have flagged are realizing, namely tariff escalation and somewhat higher OPEC+ supply.”
The bank also cut its forecasts for the oil benchmarks in 2025 and 2026, adding that “we no longer forecast a price range, because price volatility is likely to stay elevated on higher recession risk.” Analysts at S&P Global Market Intelligence predict that in a worst-case scenario, global oil demand growth could be slashed by 500,000 barrels per day.
JPMorgan, for its part, raised its recession odds for the global economy to 60% for this year, up from a previous forecast of 40%.
Markets were therefore stunned when OPEC, which produces about 40% of the world’s crude oil — along with its non-OPEC allies that together comprise OPEC+ — chose not only to go ahead with its previously held plans to increase oil production, but also to nearly triple the expected increase figure.
Eight key OPEC+ producers on Thursday agreed to raise combined crude oil output by 411,000 barrels per day, speeding up the pace of their scheduled hikes and pushing down oil prices. The group — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman — was widely expected to implement an increase of just under 140,000 barrels per day next month.
The news pushed oil prices 6% lower.
OPEC+ bullishness and appeasing Trump
Several factors underpin the oil-producing alliance’s decision. One is that the group is bullish on oil demand later in the year, putting it firmly in the minority as investor outlooks sour and fears of a global slowdown worsen.
The eight OPEC+ members behind the production decision cited “the continuing healthy market fundamentals and the positive market outlook” in their statement Thursday, saying that “this measure will provide an opportunity for the participating countries to accelerate their compensation.”
The statement added that “the gradual increases may be paused or reversed subject to evolving market conditions.”
Another likely reason for the group’s move has to do with another T-word: the man in the White House, who during his first term in office and from the very start of his second, has loudly demanded that the oil producer group pump more crude to help bring down prices for Americans.
“First of all, this is partly about appeasing Trump,” Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee, told CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Friday.
“Trump will be putting pressure on OPEC to reduce oil prices, which reduces global energy prices, to help offset the inflationary impact of his tariffs.”
OPEC officials have denied that the move was made to appease Trump.
Compliance and market share
Meanwhile, as compliance is a major issue for OPEC+ — with countries overproducing crude beyond their quotas, complicating the group’s efforts to control how much supply it allows into the market — the move could be a way to enforce that, according to Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy and MENA research at RBC Capital Markets.
“We think a desire by the OPEC leadership to send a warning signal to Kazakhstan, Iraq, and even Russia about the cost of continued overproduction underlies the decision.”
Helima Croft
head of global commodity strategy and MENA research at RBC Capital Markets
“We think a desire by the OPEC leadership to send a warning signal to Kazakhstan, Iraq, and even Russia about the cost of continued overproduction underlies the decision,” Croft wrote in a note published Thursday. She referenced the March 2020 oil price war, when Saudi Arabia flooded the market with supply to tank oil prices and forced Russia back into compliance after Moscow initially refused to curb production to help the alliance stabilize prices. The price war caused Brent crude prices to go as low as $15 a barrel.
The production increases are also “an example of OPEC increasing their market share,” Kavonic said, adding that it “ultimately does come at the expense of the United States [shale] patch,” which U.S. producers likely will not be too thrilled about.
What happens next?
OPEC+ appears confident about the market turning a corner in the coming months on the assumption that oil demand will increase in the summer and the tariff wars will be resolved in the coming months, said Nader Itayim, editorial manager at Argus Media.
“These countries are largely comfortable with the $70, $75 per barrel band,” Itayim said.
What comes next depends on the trajectory of the tariffs and a potential trade war. Oil dropping into the $60 range could force pauses or even a reversal in OPEC+ production increase plans, analysts say – although that is likely to be met with resistance from countries like Iraq and Kazakhstan that have long been itching to increase their oil production for their own revenues.
Whatever happens, the group maintains the flexibility to adapt its plans month by month, Itayim noted.
“If things don’t quite go the way they imagine, all it does take, really, is a phone call.”