For families and executors
Crypto after a death: a guide for families
When someone dies, their crypto doesn't disappear: it stays where it was held, on an exchange, in an app or in a self-custody wallet, until someone with legal authority claims it. If someone you've lost owned crypto, you don't need to understand blockchains to handle it. You need to work out where it was held, who has legal authority over the estate, and which process each platform uses. These guides take you through it in order.
Micah Chan · Updated 2026-10-13
The short version
Don't sign in to their accounts or move anything yet. Secure their phone, computer, papers and any hardware wallets. List every exchange, app and wallet you find. Crypto on an exchange or in an app is claimed through that company's estate process with a death certificate and proof of authority. Crypto in a self-custody wallet can only be recovered with its recovery phrase, which no company can reset. Ignore anyone who offers to recover crypto for an upfront fee.
Start here: where was the crypto held?
| What you found | Guide | |
|---|---|---|
| Emails, statements or tax forms from Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, Crypto.com or Gemini | Exchange account | Claim an exchange account → |
| Bitcoin or crypto inside Cash App, PayPal, Venmo or Robinhood | Payment or brokerage app | Crypto in payment apps → |
| A Ledger, Trezor or similar device, or a list of 12 to 24 words | Self-custody wallet | Hardware wallets after a death → |
| Not sure anything exists | Unknown | The 30-day family checklist → |
The first weeks
Secure devices and papers, find out what exists, and avoid the scams that target grieving families.
What Happens to Your Bitcoin and Crypto When You Die? →
Crypto doesn't vanish when you die: exchange accounts go through a claim, self-custody wallets need the recovery phrase, and without either it's lost.
When a Crypto Holder Dies: A 30-Day Checklist for Families →
What to do with crypto when someone dies: a 30-day checklist to secure devices, find the recovery plan, claim exchange accounts, handle wallets and avoid scams.
How to Find Out If a Deceased Person Had Crypto: Where to Look →
How families find a deceased person's crypto without logging in: emails, bank statements, tax forms like the 1099-DA, phone apps, wallets and paper notes.
Free Digital Asset Inventory Template (CSV) for Crypto & Accounts →
Free CSV digital asset inventory template with a worked example: list wallets, exchanges, email, and cloud accounts with their recovery routes, not passwords.
Crypto Recovery Scams: A Family Inheritance Safety Checklist →
Recognize crypto recovery scams while handling an inheritance: verify helpers, spot seed-phrase and advance-fee requests, and respond safely to possible exposure.
Crypto Wallet Support Numbers: Which Ones Are Real? →
MetaMask, Phantom, Exodus, Ledger and Trezor offer no phone support. Find each wallet's official help channel and why no one can recover your seed phrase.
Exchange and app accounts
Each company has its own estate process, documents and timeline. Start with the overview, then the platform you need.
Claim a Deceased Person's Crypto: Coinbase, Kraken, Binance →
Step by step for families: the documents Coinbase, Kraken, Binance and Gemini ask for, Coinbase's Executor Services form, and how long claims take.
Coinbase Deceased Account: Executor Services Form & Documents →
A Coinbase account holder has died? Use the Executor Services form and the four documents Coinbase asks for. Coinbase Wallet needs the recovery phrase.
Binance Deceased Account: How Family Claims It (Inheritance Appeal) →
Binance deceased account: how family claims it via the Inheritance Appeal, which documents to prepare, how long review takes, and how Binance.US differs.
Kraken Deceased Client Account Claims: Who Can Claim & Documents →
Kraken deceased client account claims, step by step: who can file, the claim form, the four documents Kraken requires, common rejections and timing.
Robinhood Estates Form: Deceased Account, TOD Transfer & Crypto (2026) →
Lost a loved one with a Robinhood account? Submit the Estates form; TOD beneficiaries claim stocks, the estate claims crypto. Documents, steps, timing.
Crypto.com Deceased Account: Claim, Close & Contact Support →
A Crypto.com customer has died? Start the estate claim at chat.crypto.com, prepare the documents, then close the App, Card and Exchange together.
Gemini Deceased Account: How Families Start a Death Claim →
Gemini deceased account: how family starts a death claim with Gemini support, the documents to prepare, Gemini Wallet, and why there's no beneficiary option.
Cash App Deceased Account: Estate Services & Claiming Bitcoin →
Close a deceased person's Cash App account and claim their bitcoin through Cash App Estate Services: who can apply, the documents, and what to ask first.
PayPal Deceased Account: Closing It and Claiming Crypto →
How an executor closes a deceased person's PayPal account: the documents PayPal asks for, where to send them, how the balance is paid, and crypto.
Venmo Deceased Account: Closing It, the Balance and Crypto →
How families close a deceased person's Venmo account: how to reach support, the documents Venmo asks for, the Venmo Credit Card, the balance and crypto.
Cash App Bitcoin After a Death (+ PayPal, Venmo, Robinhood) →
How families claim bitcoin held in Cash App after the owner dies, plus crypto in PayPal, Venmo and Robinhood: who can ask, documents, and what to check.
Wallets, devices and cloud accounts
Self-custody crypto depends on the recovery phrase. These guides explain what a PIN, seed phrase and passphrase do, and where to look.
Hardware Wallet PIN vs Seed Phrase vs Passphrase (25th Word) →
PIN, seed phrase and optional passphrase do different jobs. What each unlocks, and what to do with a Ledger or Trezor after the owner dies.
How to Store a Seed Phrase Safely for You and Your Heirs →
Build a seed-phrase backup that survives theft, damage, incapacity, and human error—without putting every recovery factor in one place.
Google Inactive Account Manager vs Apple Legacy Contact for Crypto Owners →
Compare Google's inactivity plan and Apple's Legacy Contact, check what each excludes, and build a separate recovery path for self-custody crypto.
Wills, values and taxes
See what a will can and can't do for crypto, record values at the date of death before assets move, and understand how heirs are taxed when they sell.
How to Leave Crypto in a Will Without Exposing Your Keys →
What to write in your will about Bitcoin and other crypto, what to keep out of it, and how your executor will actually reach the assets. With a checklist.
Do You Pay Tax on Inherited Crypto? Step-Up Basis Explained →
Inheriting crypto usually isn't income, but selling it can be. U.S. step-up basis, UK rules, and whether bitcoin can avoid inheritance or estate tax.
Crypto Inheritance Tax by State: Estate vs. Inheritance Tax (2026) →
Which U.S. states tax inherited crypto in 2026: 12 estate-tax states plus D.C., 5 inheritance-tax states, and the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania rules.
Common questions from families
What happens to crypto when someone dies?
It stays where it was. Crypto on an exchange or in an app is frozen once the company learns of the death and is released to the estate or a named beneficiary through that company's claim process. Crypto in a self-custody wallet can only be moved by someone who has its recovery phrase; if nobody does, it is effectively lost.
Can I log in to a deceased person's crypto account?
Don't. Using their password or 2FA device isn't a legal claim and can complicate the estate. Exchanges and apps release accounts through their own estate processes to the person with legal authority.
What documents do exchanges usually ask for?
Usually a death certificate, proof of authority such as probate, letters of administration or a small-estate affidavit, the claimant's photo ID, and a signed letter. Each platform's guide above lists its exact requirements.
Can a company recover a hardware wallet or seed phrase?
No. Self-custody wallets are controlled by the recovery phrase. Ledger, Trezor, Robinhood Wallet or Crypto.com Onchain can't reset it, and anyone who says they can for a fee is likely a scammer.
Do heirs pay tax on inherited crypto?
Inheriting isn't usually income, but selling can be taxable. In the U.S., inherited assets generally get a basis equal to their value at the date of death. Ask the estate's tax adviser.
Planning for your own family?
Most of the problems above disappear when the owner leaves a clear record of what exists and where recovery instructions are kept, without writing secrets into a will.