Naming a beneficiary is the easiest way to keep an account out of probate: the money goes straight to the person you named. Banks and brokerages have offered it for years. Most crypto and payment apps still don't, and the ones that do often leave crypto out.
Here is what each platform's own help pages say, checked October 21, 2026.
| Platform | Can you name a beneficiary? | What it covers | If there's no beneficiary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | No | Coinbase says it doesn't currently support beneficiaries on individual accounts | Estate claim through Executor Services |
| Robinhood | Partly | Stocks in individual investing accounts and IRAs. Not crypto | Crypto and unnamed assets go to the estate |
| Kraken | No | Kraken says it doesn't currently offer it | Estate representative files a claim |
| Gemini | No | Gemini says it doesn't offer beneficiary designation | Estate process; Gemini suggests an estate attorney |
| Crypto.com | IRA only | Crypto IRA beneficiaries, added in 2026 | Regular accounts: not stated |
| Cash App | Stocks only | Cash App Investing, by contacting support | Bitcoin and cash balance go through Estates Services |
| PayPal | No | Not offered | Executor claims; balance paid by check or to linked bank |
| Venmo | No | Not offered | Executor contacts Venmo with estate documents |
| Binance.US | No | Not offered | Claim with death certificate and probate documents |
| Fidelity Crypto | IRA only | Crypto IRA through the brokerage IRA | Taxable crypto account: no beneficiaries |
| Charles Schwab | Brokerage only | Designated Beneficiary Plan (TOD) on brokerage accounts | Schwab Crypto: can't add a beneficiary yet |
| E*TRADE | Yes | Brokerage TOD, set online for individual accounts | Assets go to the estate |
| Webull | Yes | Individual cash, margin and IRA accounts | Estate process |
Why crypto is usually left out
Transfer-on-death registration comes from state securities law and has long been used for stocks and brokerage accounts. Many apps hold crypto in a separate legal account, often run by a different company inside the same group, and that account hasn't been set up for TOD. So the same app can hand your stocks to your beneficiary while your bitcoin waits for probate.
The one reliable exception is a crypto IRA. Retirement accounts always have beneficiary designations, so crypto held inside an IRA at Crypto.com, Fidelity or Robinhood follows the IRA's beneficiary form.
Platform notes
Coinbase beneficiary
There is no Coinbase beneficiary designation. Coinbase states that it doesn't currently support adding a beneficiary to an individual account. After a death, the executor or family uses Coinbase's deceased-account process with a death certificate, a probate or small-estate document, ID and a signed letter. Details: Coinbase account after death.
Robinhood beneficiary (TOD)
You can add up to 10 TOD beneficiaries to an individual investing account under Account → Menu → Settings → Beneficiaries, and separate beneficiaries to IRAs. Beneficiaries must be adults, and TOD isn't available to Louisiana residents. Robinhood says crypto is not covered and is distributed through the estate. Robinhood Wallet is self-custody: only its recovery phrase restores it. Details: Robinhood account after death.
Cash App beneficiary
Cash App lets you add beneficiaries to your stock investing account by contacting support; it isn't a setting in the app. Cash App says this does not cover the rest of the Cash App account. Bitcoin is offered by Block, Inc. rather than Cash App Investing, so it isn't covered by that designation. Details: Cash App account after death.
Kraken and Gemini beneficiary
Both say they don't currently offer beneficiaries. Kraken's claim needs an official death certificate (not a funeral home certificate), probate or letters of administration, the representative's ID and a signed letter. Details: Kraken and Gemini.
PayPal and Venmo beneficiary
Neither offers a beneficiary option. The executor sends a death certificate, ID and estate papers, and the balance is paid out by check or to the deceased's linked bank account. Details: PayPal and Venmo.
E*TRADE and Webull beneficiary
Both support transfer-on-death beneficiaries on brokerage accounts. ETRADE lets you set an ETRADE beneficiary online for individual accounts (Profile → Account Preferences → Account Beneficiaries); joint accounts need a paper form signed by both owners. Webull allows up to six primary and six contingent beneficiaries on individual cash, margin and IRA accounts, under Menu → Settings → Account Management.
Fidelity and Schwab
Both offer TOD on brokerage accounts, and both say their taxable crypto accounts can't have beneficiaries yet. Fidelity's Crypto IRA follows the beneficiaries of the brokerage IRA it's linked to.
What to do instead
If your crypto app doesn't support beneficiaries, three things keep your family from a long search:
- Make sure the account will be found. An executor can only claim an account they know about. List each exchange and the email address it's under in your digital asset inventory.
- Cover it in your will. Crypto without a beneficiary passes under your will or your state's intestacy rules. See how to put crypto in a will.
- Consider moving long-term holdings. If a beneficiary matters more to you than the app, a brokerage or IRA that supports TOD on crypto, or a self-custody setup with clear instructions, may fit better. That's a financial decision; talk to an adviser.
Self-custody wallets never have beneficiaries. For those, the only route is the recovery phrase plus instructions your family can follow. See what is a seed phrase.
Common questions
Does Coinbase allow beneficiaries?
Not at the moment. Coinbase inheritance works through the estate: the executor files a claim with a death certificate and probate or small-estate documents.
Can I add a beneficiary to my Coinbase account?
No. Coinbase says it doesn't currently support naming a beneficiary on individual accounts. Your crypto there passes through your estate, so your executor needs to know the account exists.
Does Robinhood's beneficiary feature cover crypto?
No. Robinhood's TOD beneficiaries cover stocks and other assets in an individual investing account, and IRAs have their own beneficiaries. Robinhood says crypto is distributed as part of the estate.
Can I add a beneficiary to Cash App?
Only to the stock investing account, by contacting Cash App support. The cash balance and bitcoin go through Cash App's estate process.
Which crypto platforms let you name a beneficiary?
For crypto itself, mainly crypto IRAs, such as Crypto.com's IRA and Fidelity's Crypto IRA. Regular crypto accounts at Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Binance.US, Fidelity Crypto and Schwab Crypto don't offer it.
What happens to crypto on an exchange if there's no beneficiary?
It goes to the estate. The executor contacts the exchange with a death certificate and probate or small-estate documents, and the exchange releases the assets as the will or state law directs. See how to claim a crypto exchange account after death.
Is a joint account a better option?
Joint accounts with right of survivorship pass to the surviving owner at some brokerages, but most crypto exchanges only offer individual accounts, and adding an owner has tax and control consequences. Ask an estate lawyer before using one as an inheritance tool.