To find out whether someone who died owned crypto, start with the paperwork they left, then follow the money trail: exchange emails, bank transfers to exchanges or payment apps, crypto tax forms, apps on their phone and any hardware wallet or backup card. You don't need to log in to anything to do this, and you shouldn't. Each clue tells you which route the asset takes: a claim with a company, or a wallet that only its recovery phrase can open.
This guide is for families and executors in the first weeks. It follows the U.S. rules described by the IRS as of October 2026.
Where to look, at a glance
| Place | What a clue looks like | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Will, letter of instruction, inventory | A list of accounts or a note about "crypto" | The owner left a map: follow it first |
| Login alerts, trade confirmations, monthly statements from an exchange or app | An account at that company | |
| Bank and card statements | Transfers to Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Cash App, PayPal, Robinhood | An account at that company |
| Tax records | Form 1099-DA, crypto lines on a tax return, crypto tax software exports | Sales through a broker; the broker is named on the form |
| Phone and computer | Exchange apps, wallet apps (MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger Live), authenticator entries | An account, a self-custody wallet, or both |
| Desk, safe, safe-deposit box | A small USB-like device, a card with 12 to 24 words, a metal plate | A self-custody wallet |
Start with the plan, not the hunt
Many owners leave a map. Before you look anywhere else, check:
- The will, and any separate letter of instruction. A crypto letter of instruction lists what exists and where recovery starts, without secrets.
- A digital asset inventory, often a spreadsheet or a printed sheet.
- The estate lawyer, accountant or financial adviser. Ask whether the person ever mentioned crypto.
- A message from a service the person set up to reach a trusted contact, such as PingVaults.
If you find a plan, follow it and skip most of the hunt below.
Email: the richest source
Exchanges and apps email their customers constantly. Search the person's inbox, if the executor can access it lawfully, for:
- Company names: Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, Gemini, Crypto.com, Robinhood, Cash App, PayPal, Venmo
- Words like "bitcoin", "BTC", "crypto", "wallet", "withdrawal", "deposit confirmed", "new device sign-in"
- Hardware wallet orders from Ledger or Trezor
Write down the company and the email address the account uses. That address is what most deceased-account forms ask for. Don't reset passwords or click "sign in" from these emails.
Bank and card statements
Crypto usually starts with money leaving a bank account. Look through 12 to 24 months of statements for transfers or card payments to an exchange or a payment app. A regular purchase to Coinbase or a "Cash App" debit is a strong sign of an account there.
Tax records
In the U.S., two tax records can point to crypto:
- Form 1099-DA. The IRS says brokers must report gross proceeds for digital-asset transactions on or after January 1, 2025, on Form 1099-DA. The form names the broker, so it tells you which company to contact.
- Form 1040. Every return asks whether, during the year, the person received digital assets or sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of them. A "yes" on a recent return means there was crypto activity, even if there is no 1099-DA.
Also look for exports from crypto tax software and the accountant's files. Once you know what the person held, see how inherited crypto is taxed and which states tax inherited crypto.
Phone and computer
Without unlocking anything you shouldn't, note:
- Exchange and payment apps on the home screen
- Wallet apps such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Exodus or Ledger Live
- Browser extensions that look like wallets
- Entries in an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy) named after exchanges
Keep the phone charged and the phone number active. Exchanges may send codes there during a claim, and a lost number makes everything slower.
Devices and paper
A hardware wallet looks like a small USB stick or a card-sized device, often from Ledger or Trezor. Near it, or in a safe or safe-deposit box, you may find a card or metal plate with 12 to 24 words. That is a recovery phrase, and it controls the crypto. Don't type it into any website or app, and don't photograph it. Store it securely and read what a PIN, seed phrase and passphrase each do before anyone tries anything.
What each clue means: two routes
| You found | Route | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| An account at an exchange or app | The executor files a claim with documents | Use the platform guide: Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Robinhood, Cash App, PayPal, Venmo, or the general claim guide |
| A hardware wallet or wallet app | Only the recovery phrase (and any passphrase) can open it | Find the backup; no company can reset it |
| Only a clue, no company and no backup | Unclear | Keep the clue on your list and keep looking |
If you can't tell which exchanges were used, the general claim guide explains what to do.
Keep one list, and no secrets on it
Write each clue on one list with where you found it and the date: "Coinbase, statement emails to jane@example.com, found in inbox, 3 Nov". Never write a password, PIN or seed word on that list. It will be shared with the lawyer and the family.
Ignore "crypto finders" who want a fee first
People who post about a death online can be targeted by firms promising to "trace" or "recover" a relative's crypto for an upfront fee. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned about companies that falsely claim they can recover crypto. Real exchanges don't charge to process a deceased-account claim, and nobody can recover a self-custody wallet without its backup. See the recovery-scam checklist.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
If you hold crypto: save your family the hunt
A one-page note naming each exchange, the email it uses and where your wallet backup is kept saves your family weeks. A letter of instruction holds this without any secret. PingVaults can deliver that note, encrypted, to a trusted contact after a period of inactivity; it doesn't replace a will or an exchange's claim process.
For the full first month, see the 30-day family checklist and what happens to crypto when someone dies.
Common questions
How do I find out if a deceased person had cryptocurrency?
Check the will, any letter of instruction and the estate lawyer first. Then look for exchange emails, bank transfers to exchanges or payment apps, Form 1099-DA or a "yes" on the digital-asset question of their tax return, wallet and exchange apps on their phone, and any hardware wallet or card with 12 to 24 words.
Can an exchange tell me whether my relative had an account?
Usually only once the executor contacts it through its deceased-account process with a death certificate and proof of authority. Exchanges don't confirm accounts to callers who can't show that authority.
Does a 1099-DA prove someone owned crypto?
It shows that a broker reported sales of digital assets for that person in that year, and it names the broker. Whatever wasn't sold, and anything held in a self-custody wallet, won't appear on it.
What if we find a hardware wallet but no recovery phrase?
The wallet's PIN may let you see the balance, but too many wrong PIN tries can reset the device. Without the recovery phrase, nobody, including the manufacturer, can restore it. Keep looking for the backup before anyone experiments.
Should we pay a company to trace the crypto?
Be very careful. Ask for references, a written scope and no upfront fee. Never give anyone a seed phrase or remote access to a computer.