Coinbase account after a death

Coinbase has a published, official procedure for accounts of holders who have passed away. It is a paperwork process, not a technical one, the funds are held by Coinbase, and the estate follows the platform’s rules.

Note: this page is about a regular custodial Coinbase account (the Coinbase platform). Coinbase also offers self-custody products (including the Base app and Coinbase Wallet) with their own access architecture; first identify which product was found before following a procedure.

How it works

1. Confirm the account exists. Coinbase asks you to identify the account, including the email address associated with it. Evidence usually comes from the email of the person who passed away, bank statements or documents, see how to find someone’s crypto after they passed away.
2. Use your own Coinbase account for the claim. Coinbase’s current procedure has the requester log in with their own Coinbase account (create one if you do not have one yet) and use Coinbase’s Executor Services form on the official help centre, the official link under ‘Sources and useful links’, typed by you, never clicked from a message. Do not log in to the account of the person who passed away.
3. Provide the required documentation. Coinbase’s published requirements include the death certificate, proof of the lawful representative’s authority (probate, letters testamentary, letters of administration, affidavit for collection or small estate affidavit, or the local equivalent), identification, and a signed letter instructing Coinbase what to do with the balance.
4. Follow the current instructions for the destination. In the current procedure, Coinbase asks for instructions for the transfer to a specified account (with the associated email address). Determine the destination according to that procedure and do not add requirements yourself.
5. Follow their timeline. Processing time can differ per case. Respond to additional document requests and check the current status only through the official channel.

What heirs should know

• No beneficiary designation currently exists. Coinbase accounts do not have a transfer-on-death setting; inheritance runs through the estate process.
• Do not log in without lawful authority if it is not clear that you are entitled to do so. This can create legal, security or evidence problems and may breach the provider’s terms. Use the platform’s official estate procedure.
• Coinbase never asks for your password or for a transfer to a “safe” wallet. Anyone claiming to represent Coinbase who asks for this is not Coinbase.
• Requirements vary by jurisdiction. Coinbase’s help centre is the authoritative source; check it for your country before sending anything.

What this page is not

This page provides no paid services. The official procedure is the route. If the account cannot be located, the search steps in how to find someone’s crypto after they passed away still apply, and authority questions are covered in legal authority vs technical access.