Who inherits crypto without a will?

When someone passes away without a will (intestate) many people assume the rules change completely. For crypto, the honest answer is: who inherits changes; how the estate is handled barely changes at all. The same preserve, locate, identify and authority sequence still applies, and this page explains what is different.

First: confirm that there is no will

Before assuming intestacy, search properly: papers at home, the lawyer or notary the person used, bank and employer records, and digital documents. A will that is found later can change everything, and acting before it is found is the classic error.

Who inherits when there is no will

Local succession law decides, there is no single international rule. Typically the closest relatives inherit (spouse or partner, children, then parents and siblings), often in fixed shares, sometimes with minimum shares protected. The exact order is country-specific: the country domains of this platform cover the local rules for their markets.

What changes without a will

• No named executor. Nobody was appointed, so the court, notary or local equivalent must appoint an administrator.
• The administrator’s authority is confirmed by that appointment, not by being the closest relative. Possession of a device or a sheet of words is still not authority.
• Documents differ. Instead of probate of a will, you may need letters of administration, a certificate of inheritance or the local equivalent.
• Timelines stretch. Appointment processes take time (often weeks or months) and the assets wait exactly as they were left. That is why preservation matters more, not less.

What does not change

• Crypto is still estate property, subject to the same process as any other asset.
• The search still follows evidence: how to find someone’s crypto after they passed away.
• Preservation still comes first: the preservation checklist.
• The first-steps order still applies: first steps after a death.
• Division still follows law and the estate process, not informal family agreement: dividing crypto between heirs.

Practical order

1. Search for a will first.
2. Preserve everything exactly as found.
3. Get the administrator appointed and confirmed.
4. Then contact institutions and access accounts, never before.

The authority step is where most intestate estates go wrong, and it is covered properly in legal authority vs technical access.

Rules and deadlines can change, and this page may not yet reflect the latest position, have the current rules confirmed by a local lawyer, notary or tax adviser before acting. Spotted something that no longer matches? Contact us and we will correct it.