Complete crypto inheritance checklist

This is the complete checklist from the day of death to distribution, one checklist families and executors can follow top to bottom. It is the post-death companion to the crypto inheritance planning checklist, which is written for owners while they are alive. Each stage here links to the guide that covers it in depth.

PDF: Download the complete checklist to print or forward to an executor. All the blank forms are on the templates page.

How to use it: work through the stages in order. Tick what is done, write only facts and locations, never seed words, keys or passwords. For the timeline and honest expectations, see the crypto estate timeline.

Stage 1, The first days (do not touch anything)

• Leave every device, note, wallet and document exactly as found
• Note where each item was found, by whom and when
• Keep hardware wallets with their boxes, cables and accessories
• Limit information about possible crypto and access material to people with a legitimate role or clear need; record who was informed
• Do not reset, update, charge or connect devices without first assessing what preservation requires; do not guess PINs or passwords
• Do not move, sell or “test” anything

Full rules: first steps after a death and the crypto preservation checklist.

Stage 2, Who is authorised

• Establish who is authorised for the action concerned on the basis of the will, the applicable succession law and any appointments. If in doubt or in complex situations, ask a notary or succession lawyer to assess this
• Obtain only the evidence required for the action or institution concerned, for example, where required, a grant of probate, a certificate of inheritance or the local equivalent
• Understand the difference between holding something and being allowed to act on it
• Have every later step carried out by the person or persons authorised for that specific action

See legal authority vs technical access.

Stage 3, Preserve

• First leave a found phone or computer as you find it. Do not just switch on a powered-off device or switch off a powered-on one. Also do not change Wi-Fi, flight mode or other connections. If you do not know what to do, ask for technical advice first; store paper notes and metal plates safely, dry and private
• Record a simple chain-of-custody log: who handled what, when
• Never photograph, scan or send recovery words or keys, and only type them in according to the official recovery procedure for the wallet concerned. (Never enter a recovery phrase anywhere just because a website or app looks official; first check the wallet’s current official recovery procedure. Do not routinely type a hardware-wallet seed into a computer or phone; with hardware wallets, recovery words are preferably entered directly on the trusted device. With other wallets, an official app, software environment or web recovery procedure can be part of the normal recovery process. Specialist or legacy recovery may require a different, controlled offline approach.)
• Do not open, decrypt or “explore” encrypted files, see encrypted drives and containers

See the crypto preservation checklist and chain of custody.

Stage 4, Find

• Search physical places, documents, notes, emails, financial records, password managers and apps, only within the confirmed authority; open online accounts only through the provider’s official procedure
• Keep a search log in three columns: fact / inference / assumption
• If a found account has not been used for a long time, check only through the provider’s official channel whether a relevant inactivity or account-status procedure applies
• Work to the stop rule: once enough information exists to start a specific platform or wallet procedure, that step does not have to wait for the full inventory; that does not mean the wider search for other estate assets is finished

The full method: how to find crypto after a death.

Stage 5, Identify what was found

• Recognise each item: seed phrase, hardware wallet, wallet file, keystore, paper wallet, QR code, USB drive
• Record only that it exists, never its contents
• Use the wallet format library for unknown files
• If you are unsure what something is, stop and identify before touching

See what did you find?.

Stage 6, Route by where it was held

• Exchange account → the platform’s official procedure for customers who have passed away
• Self-custody wallet → key material and legal authority
• DeFi, NFTs, smart-contract wallets, business or cross-border holdings → the dedicated guide for each
• Unknown → continue the search before choosing a route

The routing table: where was the crypto held?.

Stage 7, Access

• Exchange-held crypto: contact official support, provide the required documents, follow their process
• Self-custody crypto: gather what exists — device, PIN or device password, recovery words, any passphrase and software version; which access materials are needed depends on the wallet and configuration
• Do not just pay an “unlock” or “release” fee. Real technical wallet recovery can involve costs; check in advance who the specialist is, what they will do, and which costs have been agreed
• If access is blocked, see wallet recovery: what is realistically possible before spending anything

See exchange accounts after a death and 2FA and wallet access after a death.

Stage 8, Value and report

• Build the estate inventory: accounts, wallets, balances, locations
• Value each position as of the relevant date for the estate
• Check the current rules with the competent tax authority and ask for local expert advice where needed
• Keep statements and records; they are evidence, not decoration

See crypto estate inventory and valuation, tax and reporting.

Stage 9, Divide and distribute

• Also check how the estate was accepted and whether formal winding-up rules apply, and whether special circumstances are present such as minor or otherwise represented parties, a dispute or international connections; have the route confirmed professionally first
• Check what applies to this estate under the will and the applicable law. Have this assessed professionally if in doubt, in special circumstances or in a dispute
• Handle jointly-owned positions separately from inherited ones
• If crypto is sold, keep records of what, when, at what value and by whom
• Confirm every beneficiary receives what the estate process determined

See dividing crypto between heirs, jointly-owned crypto after a death and selling inherited crypto.

Stage 10, Close

• Keep the chain-of-custody log and statements with the estate file
• Note what was searched, found and routed where
• Hand the file to whoever administers the estate afterwards
• If anything is unresolved, see help with inherited crypto

What this checklist is not

It is not legal or tax advice, and it never replaces the advice of a notary, lawyer or tax professional in your country. The completed checklist contains no secret access information, but it can still contain sensitive financial and operational information; share even this secret-free version only with authorised or relevant people. For the reasoning behind each stage, start with what happens to crypto after a death.