When a Coinbase customer dies, the family claims the account through Coinbase's Executor Services form. The person named in the probate or small-estate document signs in to their own Coinbase account, uploads four documents and verifies the request; Coinbase then transfers the assets to the account named in a signed letter. Nobody should sign in as the deceased person.
This guide follows Coinbase's help page as of October 2026. If the person also held crypto outside Coinbase, what happens to bitcoin and crypto when someone dies explains the other routes.
Coinbase Executor Services form: estate claim at a glance
| Step | What you do | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sign in to your own Coinbase account, or create one | The form is submitted from the claimant's account, not the deceased's |
| 2 | Open the Executor Services form from Coinbase's help page | Open it from coinbase.com yourself, not from an email or ad |
| 3 | Upload the four documents listed below | All names should match across documents |
| 4 | Fill in the form and select "Generate verification code" | Follow the form's verification instructions exactly |
| 5 | Wait for Coinbase support to contact you about the case | Coinbase doesn't publish a timeline |
Which Coinbase product held the crypto?
| What you found | What it is | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Emails, statements or tax forms from coinbase.com | A Coinbase account (custodial) | The Executor Services form |
| A Coinbase Wallet app, a browser extension, or a 12-word recovery phrase | Coinbase Wallet, a self-custody wallet | The owner's recovery phrase; Coinbase can't help |
| A business or institutional account | Coinbase Business or Prime | Ask Coinbase support which process applies |
Search the owner's email for "Coinbase" and check bank statements for transfers to or from Coinbase. The family checklist for the first 30 days lists other places to look.
The four documents Coinbase asks for
| Document | What Coinbase says |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | "The official death certificate" |
| Proof of authority | Any one of: probate, letters testamentary, letters of administration, an affidavit for collection, or a small estate affidavit |
| Photo ID | A current, valid government-issued photo ID for the person named in the probate document |
| Instructions letter | Signed by the person named in the probate document, directing Coinbase to transfer the assets to a specified account, and including that account's email address |
The person who submits is whoever the probate or small-estate document names, usually the executor or administrator. A close relative without that document can't complete the form. If no one has been appointed yet, ask a local estate lawyer whether a small estate affidavit is available where the owner lived; it's often faster than full probate.
What to put in the instructions letter
Coinbase only says the letter must direct the transfer to a specified account and include that account's email. A clear letter usually also has:
- the deceased person's full legal name and date of death;
- the email address of the deceased person's Coinbase account, if you know it;
- your name and your role (executor, administrator or affiant);
- the Coinbase account to receive the assets, with its email address;
- your signature and the date.
Ask Coinbase whether it wants the crypto transferred as crypto or sold, and whether it can give the value of each asset on the date of death.
No beneficiaries on Coinbase accounts
Coinbase says it "doesn't currently support naming a beneficiary for individual accounts." Instead, "estate planning documents or state intestate laws dictate the ownership transfer of a Coinbase account." In practice that means the will, a trust, or the state's default inheritance rules decide who receives the crypto, and the executor or administrator carries it out through the form.
Coinbase Wallet is a different story
Coinbase Wallet is a self-custody app. Coinbase's help page says the recovery phrase "gives you—and only you—access to your wallet," that Coinbase "will never access your recovery phrase," and that it "can't move crypto or help you access your digital assets if you lose it." The Executor Services form can't release it.
If the owner used Coinbase Wallet, look for the recovery phrase in their papers, a safe or a letter of instruction. Never type it into a website or give it to anyone who contacts you. See where people usually store seed phrases.
Don't sign in, and don't pay "recovery agents"
Signing in with the owner's password or phone isn't a claim, and moving crypto out of a deceased person's account can create problems for the estate. Keep the owner's email and phone number active while the claim runs.
Fake "Coinbase support" numbers and messages are common. Coinbase's estate process runs through the form on its own site; it doesn't need a seed phrase, remote access to your computer or a fee. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned about companies that falsely claim they can recover crypto for an upfront fee. See the recovery-scam checklist and which wallet support numbers are real.
Taxes
U.S. heirs generally take the value on the date of death as their cost basis, which matters when they later sell. See is inherited crypto taxable? This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
For other platforms, see the Binance Inheritance Appeal, Kraken's deceased client claim, Robinhood's Estates form, or how to claim a deceased person's exchange account.
If you use Coinbase: make it easier for your family
- Coinbase has no beneficiary option, so make sure your will names an executor and covers your crypto. See how to put crypto in a will.
- Write down that you have a Coinbase account and which email it uses, without your password.
- If you use Coinbase Wallet, record where the recovery phrase is kept. Don't write the phrase itself into a will.
- A letter of instruction can hold all of this. PingVaults can deliver it to a trusted contact after a period of inactivity; it doesn't replace Coinbase's estate process or prove anyone's authority.
Common questions
How do I access a deceased family member's Coinbase account?
You don't sign in to it. The person named in the probate or small-estate document submits Coinbase's Executor Services form from their own Coinbase account with the death certificate, proof of authority, their photo ID and a signed instructions letter.
What happens to my Coinbase account if I die?
Nothing moves automatically. Coinbase doesn't support beneficiaries on individual accounts, so the account stays in your name until the person with authority over your estate claims it through the Executor Services form. Your will, or state law if there's no will, decides who receives the assets. Coinbase Wallet is separate: only someone with its recovery phrase can reach it.
Does Coinbase have a bereavement process?
Coinbase's bereavement process is the Executor Services form on its help page. Coinbase's help page describes this online form, not a phone process; start from help.coinbase.com yourself and be wary of "Coinbase bereavement" numbers in search results.
What is the Coinbase Executor Services form?
It's the form Coinbase uses for estate claims. You open it from Coinbase's help page while signed in to your own account, upload the documents, fill in the fields and verify the request with a generated code.
Can I name a beneficiary on my Coinbase account?
No. Coinbase says it doesn't currently support beneficiaries on individual accounts. Your will or your state's intestacy law decides who inherits.
Do I need probate to claim a Coinbase account?
Not always. Coinbase accepts an affidavit for collection or a small estate affidavit as well as probate, letters testamentary and letters of administration. Which one you can get depends on where the owner lived and the size of the estate.
How long does a Coinbase estate claim take?
Coinbase doesn't publish a timeline. After the request is verified, Coinbase support contacts you about the case. Sending all four documents together, with matching names, avoids the most common delays.
Can Coinbase recover a Coinbase Wallet?
No. Coinbase Wallet is self-custody and Coinbase says it never accesses the recovery phrase. The family needs the owner's recovery phrase.