This factoid circulated throughout the internet last month, and it left many people kicking themselves for having not invested in the cryptocurrency when it was still a nascent phenomenon. But the truth is, Bitcoin was still considered a passing fad in 2010, and you needed a considerable amount of faith and know-how to invest in it.

Cassidy, a 41-year-old legal professional living on the West Coast with his wife and daughter, was one of those fortunate dreamers. Since being introduced to Bitcoin in 2012, he has obtained more than 2,000 units of the currency, which together are worth more than $5 million.

As the pseudonym implies, Cassidy is a deeply private man who asked to remain anonymous to protect his investment. "Forgive my caution," he says. "You may not realize, but [Bitcoin holders] are regularly targeted by identity thieves. I've had many people try to obtain my phone number in an attempt to socially engineer my phone company into transferring my number to an account of their holding."