Who can help with inherited crypto?

Many steps in a crypto estate can be completed with the guidance on this site; some steps are genuinely better handled with a professional, and that is normal. This page shows which help fits which situation and what to prepare before you make contact. See first steps after a death for the preservation steps at the start.

Which help fits which situation?

Exchange / custodial platform

If the crypto was on a custodial exchange, the handling usually runs through the platform’s official bereavement procedure. Which documents are needed and whether assets are transferred, sold or otherwise settled varies by platform. See exchange accounts after a death. For this step an intermediary is usually not needed.

Legal questions and authority

When it is about who may act on behalf of the estate, a notary or estate lawyer can help assess which powers and documents are relevant in the specific situation. The document that confirms who may act depends on the jurisdiction: a grant of probate or letters of administration in common-law countries, a notarial or court document in civil-law countries. A lawyer can advise or represent when an assessment or a dispute is involved. In other countries, other authorities or professionals may be competent. See legal authority vs technical access.

Tax and valuation

When it is about valuation, reporting or tax rules: valuation, reporting and tax rules differ by country. An adviser who knows local inheritance and tax law can help you file the estate’s figures correctly. See valuation and tax of inherited crypto.

Digital estates, devices and data

When the problem sits in a phone, computer, storage medium or in the accessibility of digital data, and not primarily in the wallet itself, a specialist in digital estates, devices and data may be the right next step. Check the provider’s current services before engaging one.

Technical wallet access

When access to self-custodied crypto is genuinely blocked and authority is confirmed, a wallet-access specialist may be the next step. See wallet recovery: what is realistically possible.

The help you need can come from any of these categories. What matters is the right professional for the step, at the right moment.

When to involve a professional

Involve a professional when a step is outside what documents and official procedures can do: legal authority, local reporting, or technical access. A clear inventory and description of what has already been found can make an initial conversation more efficient.

What to prepare before you make contact

Prepare:

• The estate documents you already have: death certificate, will or certificate of inheritance, letters of administration if issued.
• A secret-free summary of what you found: which exchange, which device, which wallet type, never the secrets themselves.
• A note of what has already been done, in order.
• One question per professional: what exactly do they need from you, and what will they deliver?

Keep private: recovery words, private keys, passwords, PINs and authentication codes. A legal, tax or standard exchange engagement does not need them. For a technical recovery engagement, an encrypted wallet file or a limited extraction may be necessary; share only what was agreed in writing in advance, through a secure process.

The professional side of crypto estates is covered in the professional’s guide.

What this website can and cannot do

This website is an educational resource: it explains the process and never acts on your behalf. Questions about the material itself are welcome via contact. For questions about your estate, the professionals above are chosen, verified and instructed by you.

InheritedCrypto.com is made by Crypto Recovers, which itself offers wallet-access services. The editorial guidance on this page is separate from any commercial engagement.