All guides
Every guide, organised by situation, researched, plain-language, with dated sources where available.
After a death
- First steps after a deathThe correct order when someone has passed away and crypto may exist: preserve, establish authority, identify, classify, then act.
- The crypto preservation checklistWhat to do now, how to preserve devices and media, what to document, and what never to do, the complete preservation rules for cryptocurrency after a death.
- What happens to crypto after a death?The general picture: identifying what existed, establishing who may act, gaining access, valuing and distributing, and which guide covers each step.
- The most common reasons crypto can become unreachable after a deathThe most common reasons heirs and executors cannot access crypto: no backup, an unknown passphrase, 2FA on the deceased's phone, and more.
- Access a deceased loved one's cryptoWhen a family member has passed away and may have owned crypto: who may act, how to find it, exchange or wallet, and what can be done next.
- Complete crypto inheritance checklistThe printable crypto inheritance checklist from the day of death to distribution: preserve, find, identify, authorise, access, value, divide and report.
- The crypto estate timelineWhat happens when in a crypto estate, from day one to month twelve: preservation, authority, access, valuation, reporting and distribution.
- How to find a deceased person's cryptoA complete search workbook for finding crypto after a death: devices, documents, emails, financial records and password managers, with lawful stopping rules.
- Where was the crypto held?Where the crypto was held decides what happens after a death: exchange, self-custody, DeFi, NFTs, smart contracts, business or cross-border.
Identification
- What did you find?Identify anything found after a death (seed phrases, hardware wallets, wallet files, keys, phones, USB drives, QR codes) and what matters now.
- The wallet format libraryCommon crypto wallet formats explained: software, mobile apps, hardware devices and files — what each is and what to preserve.
- wallet.dat files after a deathA wallet.dat file: the Bitcoin Core wallet file that is often unencrypted by default, how to preserve it and which client it needs.
- Ethereum keystore files (UTC--) after deathAn Ethereum keystore (UTC--) file: the encrypted private key plus its password, how to preserve it, and why only the official route should ever import it.
- Electrum wallets after a deathWhat an Electrum wallet is: a desktop Bitcoin wallet with its own seed and file formats, how to recognise, preserve and identify it after a death.
- Blockchain.com wallets after a deathHow Blockchain.com wallets work (custodial accounts versus the legacy non-custodial wallet) and what an estate needs to know.
- Wallet apps after a deathWhat wallet apps on a phone or computer mean for an estate: MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Exodus and similar, preserve, identify, never unlock carelessly.
- Paper wallets after a deathWhat a paper wallet is, why the private key material must be treated as secret, and how to preserve one found after a death without destroying or exposing it.
- Old devices with a possible walletWhere wallet software, wallet.dat files and backups actually live on old devices, and how to treat the machine as evidence without damaging anything.
- Encrypted drives and containers after deathHow to recognise encrypted storage (VeraCrypt, TrueCrypt, BitLocker, LUKS and more) after a death, and what to preserve without damaging anything.
- MultiBit wallets after a deathA discontinued Bitcoin wallet family (MultiBit and MultiBit HD): how to recognise its files, which recovery route fits, and how to preserve them.
Wallets and access
- What is a seed phrase?What a seed (recovery) phrase is, why the order matters, and why to use it only in the verified recovery procedure of the wallet concerned.
- What is a private key?What a private key is, how it differs from a seed phrase, and why to use it only in a verified recovery or import procedure.
- Wallet passwords and passphrasesPINs, device passwords, wallet encryption, and the optional passphrase, what each protects and what they mean after a death.
- 2FA and wallet access after a deathWhat two-factor authentication and backup codes mean for an inherited crypto wallet: what can and cannot be reset, and what to preserve.
- Preserving a hardware wallet after a deathHow to preserve a found hardware wallet, including how to recognise the main brands (Ledger, Trezor, BitBox and more): never guess the PIN, never reset it.
- Why a visible wallet balance does not prove access or ownershipA screenshot or visible balance is an indication, not proof. The three levels — indication, verified record, legal authority — explained with examples.
- Wallet recovery: what is realistically possibleWhat is technically possible when access to inherited crypto is blocked: what to try first, when professional help makes sense, and how to verify a specialist.
Exchanges
- Exchange or self-custody wallet?The custody models that matter after a crypto death (exchange, self-custody, multisig, smart-contract wallets) and the right next step.
- Exchange accounts after a deathHow exchange inheritance procedures work, which documents are typically required, and where to find each exchange's official process.
- Coinbase account after a deathCoinbase's official procedure for an account holder who passed away: the required documents, how the transfer works, and where the process differs by region.
- Kraken account after a deathKraken's procedure for a deceased client's account: required documents, how the account is settled, and why no beneficiary designation currently exists.
- Binance account after a deathHow Binance handles the funds of an account holder who passed away: the published procedure, the documents, and the regional differences that matter.
- Bitvavo account after a deathBitvavo's official procedure for the account of a deceased customer: required documents, how the payout works, and what to expect.
Legal and tax
- Legal authority vs technical accessAfter a crypto death, two questions matter: who is legally authorised to act, and how the crypto can technically be reached. Authority and access are separate.
- Crypto estate documents explainedCommon documents in a crypto estate explained: what they are, who drafts or issues them, when they are relevant, from death certificate to exchange forms.
- Who inherits crypto without a will?When someone dies without a will, the applicable succession law decides who inherits; the same locate, preserve, identify and authority rules apply to crypto.
- Crypto in a willHow a will handles cryptocurrency, what it can and cannot do technically, and why secret access material belongs in a separate, secured place.
- Valuation and tax of inherited cryptoGeneral concepts for valuing and reporting crypto in an estate, jurisdiction-dependent and dated; verify with a local professional.
- Dividing crypto between heirsHow crypto is divided between heirs: the legal step, the three practical routes, valuation, and what must happen before anything is moved.
- Jointly owned crypto after a deathWhat happens when two people share a crypto wallet or exchange account and one passes away, and what the estate process does and does not change.
- How selling inherited crypto worksThe mechanics of selling inherited crypto: who may sell, what must happen first, how transfers and sales work, and what must be recorded.
Planning ahead
- How to talk to family about cryptoHow to start the family conversation about crypto inheritance: what to say, what to share, what never to share, and how to handle the tough questions.
- Crypto and incapacity: plan aheadHow to make sure a trusted person can act on your crypto if you become unable to, without exposing secret material.
- Options for passing on cryptoSealed envelope, trusted person, multisig, timelocks, and provider features, the trade-offs of each inheritance mechanism, with no single recommendation.
- Crypto inheritance toolsA neutral map of crypto inheritance tools (dead man's switches, wallet inheritance features, custodian services) and what to check before trusting one.
- Crypto in a will vs a trustWhat a will and a trust can each do for crypto, how the structures differ, and why secret access material belongs in neither document.
- Crypto inheritance planningThe full planning path for owners: document what exists and where, choose how access is handed over, and keep secrets out of shared documentation.
- Crypto inheritance planning checklistThe printable crypto inheritance planning checklist: inventory, estate map, handover method and yearly review, with the safe-documentation rules built in.
- Crypto storage methods comparedPaper, metal, USB, cloud, password manager, safety-deposit box: honest trade-offs for storing crypto recovery material, and where secrets do not belong.
Safety and scams
- You already made a mistake, what now?Did something wrong with inherited crypto, tried PINs, reset a device, typed a seed phrase, clicked a link? Calm damage control for the inheritance situation.
- Fraudulent approaches to crypto estatesHow to recognise fraudulent approaches to a crypto estate: unsolicited offers, requests for secret information, upfront fees and fake guarantees.
- Official channels and source verificationThe official websites of the main exchanges, hardware wallets and software wallets, and which old wallets are discontinued with no safe official download.
Getting help
For professionals
- Executor's guide to a crypto estateA practical workflow for an executor handling crypto in an estate: locate, preserve, identify, value, access and report, in the right order.
- Crypto estates: a professional's guideFor lawyers, notaries, tax advisers and fiduciaries: technical and practical points, relevant information and the safe technical handoff in a crypto estate.
- Crypto estate inventoryHow to compile a reliable, secret-free crypto estate inventory: what to record, how to separate fact from assumption, and what the inventory enables.
- Chain of custody and evidenceThe chain-of-custody framework for crypto estates: when it matters, what to record, and the rules for secrets and the log.
- Crypto in a business estateWhen crypto is held by a company or business of an owner who has passed away, who can act, what documentation exists, and which professionals are needed.
Bitcoin
- Bitcoin inheritance: what to preserveThe Bitcoin-specific inheritance picture: keys, seed standards, software wallets, UTXO reality, and how preservation differs from exchange accounts.
- Bitcoin multisig inheritanceHow multisig wallets (2-of-3, 3-of-5), their keys and their recovery paths interact with inheritance, and how owners can plan for it.
Advanced positions
- Smart-contract wallets and inheritanceHow smart-contract wallets and smart accounts, including Safe and ERC-4337-based configurations, behave after a death, and what to plan in advance.
- DeFi positions after a deathA taxonomy of DeFi positions (lending, staking, liquidity, yield) with their inheritance implications and a safe inventory approach.
- NFTs in an estate: what to preserveWhat NFTs mean in an estate (art, collectibles, domains) how to preserve access, and why valuation is often the honest hard part.
- Cross-border crypto estatesThe extra dimensions when assets or family span jurisdictions: which law applies, where assets sit, double taxation, and the professional team needed.
Reference
- Crypto estate templatesPrintable secret-free templates for a crypto estate: estate map, search log (fact / inference / assumption) and chain-of-custody log, with downloads.
- Crypto inheritance glossaryPlain-language crypto inheritance terms: seed phrase, private key, wallet.dat, probate, certificate of inheritance, 2FA, multisig and more.