What Happens to Your Personal Crypto Wallets Account When You Die
Quick Facts
Deadline
Document NOW
Difficulty
Critical
Key Info
No recovery without seed phrase
Step-by-Step Guide
Secure your seed phrase (CRITICAL)
Your 12 or 24-word seed phrase is the ONLY way to access your funds. Store it on metal backup (Cryptosteel, Billfodl), NOT digitally, NOT in photos.
Warning: Billions in crypto are lost forever because seed phrases were not properly secured.
Estimated time: 30 min
Document wallet addresses
Record your PUBLIC wallet addresses (safe to share) so your executor can verify balances.
Estimated time: 10 min
Write a sealed instruction letter
Write a sealed letter explaining: which wallets you use, where hardware wallets are stored, and where to find the seed phrase. Give to executor or solicitor.
Estimated time: 20 min
Inform executor in person
Tell your executor privately (not by email/text) that you have crypto and how to find the recovery information.
Estimated time: 15 min
Document Now Checklist
- Wallet types (Ledger, Trezor, MetaMask, etc.)
- Public wallet addresses
- Seed phrase location (NOT the seed phrase itself)
- Hardware wallet physical location
Tax and access note: Crypto receives a step-up in basis at death — get date-of-death valuations BEFORE selling anything. If the family cannot access the assets, professional supervised recovery is available through our partnership with The Crypto Accountant. Learn more →
Save this to your vault
When you document your accounts in Passed Plan, your family gets a personalized action plan — with only the guides that apply to them, in the right order, with your notes attached.
Start your vault — free for 30 daysLast verified: June 2026. Platform policies may change. Verify current procedures directly with Personal Crypto Wallets. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Protect your Personal Crypto Wallets account — and all your others
Document your digital life in a zero-knowledge encrypted vault. 1,800+ platform guides. Dead Man's Switch. Everything your family needs.
Start your free trial →This is 1 of 1,800+ guides in Passed Plan. When you document your accounts, your family gets a personalized Family Action Guide with only the steps that apply to them — in the right order, with your notes.
Browse all 1,800+ guides →