Access a deceased loved one's crypto

After a death, the first question about cryptocurrency is usually practical: how do we access it? The honest short answer is that there is no single button, but there is a reliable order, and this page answers the most common questions in plain language. Every answer links to the guide that covers that step properly.

If you are reading this shortly after a loss: our condolences. Take a breath, and before anything else, preserve everything exactly as it is. The correct order of first steps is short and worth reading before acting.

My family member passed away. How do I access their crypto?

With self-custody crypto, there is no central party that can replace a missing private key or release the on-chain assets on behalf of the estate. With custodial accounts, the provider may have an official estate procedure. What is possible depends on two questions, who is legally authorised to act, and where the crypto was held: with an exchange, or in a self-custody wallet. The reliable order is preserve, establish authority, identify, classify, then act. See first steps after a death and what happens to crypto after a death.

Who may access a family member’s crypto after they passed away?

Only the person with legal authority under the applicable succession law: the executor or personal representative named in the will, or the heirs under local law. Possession of a device, a password or a written recovery phrase is not legal authority, a notary, probate registry or the local equivalent confirms who may act. This distinction shapes everything that follows: legal authority vs technical access.

How do I find out whether they had crypto?

With a structured, lawful search: estate paperwork, devices and storage media, financial records, and correspondence from exchanges. There is no central registry of crypto ownership, so the search follows evidence, and blockchain tracing is not the starting point. The full checklist is in how to find someone’s crypto after they passed away.

How do I access their exchange accounts?

Many exchanges have a procedure for customers who have died. Which documents are required differs per platform; they often include a death certificate, identification and proof of authority, but the required form of those documents can also differ. Always check the current official procedure of the platform concerned and whether a beneficiary designation exists. After verification, the platform determines, according to its own procedure, how the account and the assets are settled. See exchange accounts after a death. Use only the platform’s official estate channel. File the claim directly or, where the platform allows it, have it filed by a person authorised to represent the estate. Do not give login details, 2FA codes or other access material to unauthorised third parties, and do not let anyone try to log in as the person who passed away outside the official procedure. See official channels and source verification.

How do I access a self-custody wallet?

With self-custody, the recovery route varies by wallet. Access can depend, for example, on recovery words, a device, a wallet file or another recovery method configured in advance. What exactly applies depends on what was found:

• A seed phrase or recovery words. A complete phrase is the access path: it can be used to restore the wallet in compatible software or on a hardware wallet. If words are missing, the realistic options change, see what is a seed phrase and wallet recovery: what is realistically possible.
• A hardware wallet. The access and recovery route differs by brand, model and configuration. It can be, for example, a working device with the correct PIN, but also recovery words, shares, backup cards or devices, or another recovery method set up in advance. If one element is missing, do not automatically conclude the funds are unreachable; first establish the exact model and the configuration used. See how to preserve a hardware wallet.
• Wallet files (wallet.dat, keystore, Electrum). Such a file can contain important access material. Some wallet files are protected with a password and others are not. So preserve the file and any passwords found without changing anything. See wallet.dat files, Ethereum keystore (UTC—) or Electrum wallets.
• A phone or old computer. Wallet apps and browser profiles may hold the keys, preserve them without updates or syncs; see old devices with a possible wallet.
• A 2FA code or authenticator app. A second factor can block access even when the password or phrase is correct, see 2FA and wallet access after a death.
• A smart-contract wallet (Safe and similar). There is no seed phrase for the contract itself; access follows the wallet’s owners and threshold rules: see smart-contract wallets.

Legal authority and technical access are two different things. If in doubt about authority, have a notary or an estate lawyer assess which documents are needed. Start with exchange account or self-custody to classify what you have.

What if the password or recovery words are lost?

Some access problems are solvable and some are not, and nobody can know which without examining the exact situation. A missing word can sometimes be reconstructed; a completely missing phrase cannot be invented. Anyone who guarantees a result before examining the situation is a warning sign, and an official estate process does not ask for your secrets for a first assessment. See wallet passwords and passphrases and wallet recovery: what is realistically possible.

How long does accessing inherited crypto take?

There is no universal timeline. Establishing legal authority can take weeks or months depending on the country and the estate, and exchanges run their own review procedures. Acting before authority is confirmed usually makes the process slower, not faster. The full sequence is described in what happens to crypto after a death.

What should I never do?

Never share recovery words, private keys, passwords, PINs or authentication codes with anyone; an official estate process (exchange, notary, tax adviser) never asks you to send them. For specialist technical recovery, an encrypted wallet file or limited extraction may be needed, but only through a previously agreed written, secure process. Estates are a frequent target. Never reset, wipe or repeatedly guess on any device: each attempt can destroy the only access path. Preserve everything exactly as found, and learn the warning signs: scams targeting crypto estates.