When a Binance account holder dies, the family claims the deceased account through Binance's Inheritance Appeal: an heir or executor files it from their own Binance account, identifies the deceased user by email, phone or Binance ID, and uploads probate or inheritance documents. Review usually takes one to two months. Nobody should sign in as the deceased user.
A Binance.US deceased account goes through Binance.US support instead. This guide covers both routes as Binance describes them in September 2026. For crypto held outside Binance, see what happens to bitcoin and crypto when someone dies.
Binance or Binance.US?
Start by working out which company held the account. They are separate businesses with separate estate processes.
| Clue | Likely platform | Where the claim starts |
|---|---|---|
| Emails from binance.com, an account opened outside the U.S. | Binance | The Inheritance Appeal (Legacy Inheritance) in Binance's self-service support |
| Emails from binance.us, U.S. bank transfers, a U.S. tax form from Binance.US | Binance.US | Binance.US support, with the documents listed below |
| A hardware wallet or a list of 12–24 words, no exchange emails | Self-custody wallet | Not Binance at all; see what to do with a hardware wallet |
If you are not sure an account exists, search the owner's email for "Binance", and check bank and card statements for transfers. The family checklist for the first 30 days lists other places to look.
Don't sign in as the owner
Finding a password or a phone that still receives Binance codes is common. Signing in as the deceased person is not a claim, and it can complicate the real one. Keep the owner's phone number and email active and secure instead. Binance can find the account using that email or phone number, and it may be the only link between the account and the owner.
Binance inheritance appeal: step by step
Binance's help page describes the process as of September 2026:
- Use your own Binance account. The applicant must have their own Binance account before starting. Create one with your own identity, not the deceased person's.
- Open the appeal. In Binance's customer support, go to Self Service, then Account, then Legacy Inheritance, or open the Inheritance Appeal link from Binance's help page.
- Identify the deceased user. Give at least one of: the deceased user's email address, phone number, or Binance ID.
- Upload the documents. Binance asks for legally valid inheritance documents and stresses that the information must be accurate.
- Wait for review. Binance says it usually takes around one to two months, and sometimes longer in complex cases. When the appeal is approved, the assets are transferred to the rightful beneficiary or trustee.
Always open the page from Binance's own domain before sending anything. The steps can change.
What to prepare
Binance's page doesn't list document types. The documents below are what exchanges usually need for an estate claim. Prepare them in advance and send what Binance asks for in the form.
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | Proves the account holder has died |
| Proof of your authority | A grant of probate, letters testamentary, letters of administration, or a small-estate document, depending on where the owner lived |
| Proof of relationship, if you are applying as family | Links you to the deceased when your authority comes from inheritance law rather than an appointment |
| Your government photo ID | Must match the name on your authority document and your Binance account |
| A will, if there is one | Shows who inherits, if Binance or local law needs it |
| Certified translations | If documents are not in a language Binance accepts, ask before you pay for them |
Mismatched names are the most common delay. If the death certificate, the authority document and the Binance account show different spellings or a changed name, include a document that links them.
Binance.US: collecting funds from a deceased user's account
Binance.US is a separate company with its own process, described in its help article Collecting funds from a deceased user's account. It asks you to gather these documents, then contact its support team and ask to speak to a representative:
- a selfie video stating the preferred method of transfer for the deceased user's assets
- a death certificate, as a PDF or a corner-to-corner photo
- a valid government ID or passport of the person in the video
- the last will and testament and/or probate documents, such as probate, letters testamentary, letters of administration, an affidavit for collection or a small estate affidavit
Reach Binance.US only through its own website or app. Search results for "Binance.US support number" include impostors.
What the appeal can't do
The Inheritance Appeal covers the exchange account that Binance holds for its user. It can't release crypto the owner moved to a self-custody wallet, because Binance never held those keys. If you find both, handle each on its own route and list them in a digital asset inventory.
Before accepting a transfer, ask the estate's adviser whether you need the value of each asset on the date of death. See is inherited crypto taxable? This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
How to close a Binance account after the owner dies
There is no separate "close account" step for a deceased user. Binance's Inheritance Appeal page describes one outcome: after Binance confirms the application, the assets are transferred to the rightful beneficiary or trustee. It doesn't say what happens to the account afterwards, so closing it comes last:
- File the Inheritance Appeal first. Don't sign in, sell or withdraw to "tidy up" before Binance has reviewed it.
- Wait for the transfer. Binance moves the approved assets to the beneficiary's or trustee's own account.
- Then ask about closure. Once the transfer is confirmed, contact Binance support from your own account, quote your appeal, and ask how the deceased user's account will be closed and whether anything is left in it.
- Keep records. Save the approval, the transfer details and the value of each asset on the date of death for the estate's accounts and taxes.
For Binance.US, ask the support representative handling the claim how the account is closed once the funds have been collected.
Binance's emergency contact: the "Will feature" in the news
In June 2025 Binance's co-founder Changpeng Zhao called for every platform to have a "will function", and news coverage of Binance inheritance often calls Binance's own tool a "Will feature". What Binance actually announced is an emergency contact setting. In Binance's words, you can safeguard your assets for your loved ones "by nominating your emergency contact in 3 simple steps":
- Enter the name and contact details of your emergency contact.
- Set the period of inactivity before Binance reaches out to them.
- Set how long Binance first tries to reach you before it contacts them.
If the account stays inactive for that period and Binance can't reach you, it contacts the person you named. That's the whole job: the emergency contact doesn't get access to the account, and the setting doesn't move any crypto or split it between heirs. After a death, the heir or executor still files the Inheritance Appeal above with the death certificate and inheritance documents.
| Emergency contact | Inheritance Appeal | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | The account owner, while alive | The heir, executor or trustee, after the death |
| What it does | Tells Binance whom to contact after long inactivity | Asks Binance to release the deceased user's assets |
| Moves assets? | No | Yes, after Binance approves the documents |
| Replaces a will? | No | No; the will or local law decides who is entitled |
For a family, the practical value is that someone finds out the account exists. If you find an email from Binance saying you were named as an emergency contact, open Binance yourself rather than following links, and start the appeal from your own account.
Watch for fake Binance staff
A death notice can attract fake "Binance agents" and recovery services. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned about companies that falsely claim they can recover crypto for a fee. Binance won't ask for a seed phrase, remote access to your computer, or a fee to release an inheritance. Our recovery-scam checklist and guide to wallet support numbers cover the usual tactics.
For Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini, see how to claim a deceased person's crypto on other exchanges, or the dedicated guides to Kraken and Gemini accounts after a death.
If you use Binance: make this easier for your family
Binance doesn't let you name a beneficiary with shares, so plan for your family to use the appeal. Set an emergency contact in your account security settings so someone hears from Binance if your account goes quiet, then make the appeal shorter. Write down that you have a Binance account and which email it uses, keep your verified name identical to your legal documents, and say where your estate papers are. A letter of instruction can hold this without any password. PingVaults can deliver that note to a trusted contact after a period of inactivity, the way a dead man's switch works; it does not replace Binance's appeal or prove anyone's authority. For self-custody wallets and the legal side, see how to build a crypto inheritance plan.
Common questions
How do I file a Binance inheritance appeal for a deceased account?
From your own Binance account, open customer support, then Self Service, Account and Legacy Inheritance. Identify the deceased user by email, phone number or Binance ID, upload legally valid inheritance documents, and wait for review, which Binance says usually takes one to two months.
Does the family member need a Binance account?
Yes. Binance says the applicant must have their own Binance account before starting the Inheritance Appeal.
How long does a Binance inheritance claim take?
Binance says around one to two months, sometimes longer for complex cases. Complete, consistent documents are the part you control.
Can we just log in with the owner's password?
Don't. It isn't a claim, it may breach Binance's terms, and it can make the real claim harder. Use the Inheritance Appeal instead.
What happens to a Binance account when the owner dies?
The account and its balance stay frozen in the deceased user's name until an heir, executor or trustee files the Inheritance Appeal and Binance approves it. Binance then transfers the assets to the rightful beneficiary or trustee. Nothing moves automatically.
How do I close a deceased person's Binance account?
File the Inheritance Appeal first and wait until Binance has transferred the assets to the beneficiary or trustee. Binance's help page doesn't describe a separate closing step, so ask Binance support from your own account how the account will be closed once the transfer is done. Don't sign in as the owner to close it.
Does Binance have a will or beneficiary feature?
Not in the sense of naming heirs and shares. Binance's emergency contact setting lets you name someone Binance contacts after a period of inactivity you choose. It doesn't give that person access or transfer assets; after a death, the heir still files the Inheritance Appeal.
Is there a Binance phone number for deceased accounts?
Binance's help page describes an online appeal through its self-service support, not a phone process. Treat any "Binance inheritance hotline" found in search results or social media as suspect.