Inheritance Planning

The Problem

• Your family doesn't know where your seed is
• They don't know what a seed is
• They don't know how to use a COLDCARD
• They don't know you have bitcoin at all
• Even with all the above, they might make a mistake and lose everything

You need a plan that works for non-technical people under stress.

The Simple Approach

Write an Inventory Document

A plain-language document that lists:

1. What you own — "I have bitcoin stored in a hardware wallet"
2. Where the devices are — physical locations of COLDCARDs and metal backups
3. How to access it — step-by-step instructions a non-technical person can follow
4. Who to call for help — a trusted technical friend, or a professional service

No seed phrases or PINs in this document. It should be safe in a filing cabinet or with a lawyer. It points to where the secrets are, without being a secret itself.

Store Seeds Accessibly

Metal backups need to be in locations your heir can actually access. A safe deposit box with your spouse as co-signer, a home safe with the combination in a sealed envelope with your lawyer, or similar.

Update Annually

Review once a year. Update when you change wallets, move backups, or change your family situation. A stale plan is almost as bad as no plan.

The Better Approach: Collaborative Custody

For larger amounts, services exist that provide key management assistance without taking custody:

• Casa — 2-of-3 multisig where Casa holds one key, you hold two. If you die, your heir contacts Casa for guided recovery. Casa cannot spend without your keys.
• Unchained — similar model, 2-of-3 multisig with Unchained as a key holder. Offers explicit inheritance protocols with designated heirs.
• Nunchuk — assisted multisig with inheritance features built into the app.

These services charge a fee, but they solve the "non-technical family" problem. The company holds one key and guides your heir through recovery. They cannot steal your bitcoin — they only hold one of the required keys.

Using Multisig for Inheritance

If you run your own 2-of-3 multisig, you can distribute keys with inheritance in mind:

• Key 1: You hold (your home or office)
• Key 2: Trusted family member (spouse, adult child)
• Key 3: Lawyer, safety deposit box, or second trusted person

Any two keys can spend. If you're gone, Key 2 + Key 3 access the funds. Store the wallet descriptor (not secret) with all key holders.

What NOT to Do

• Don't rely on a dead man's switch alone. Dead man's switches that auto-send bitcoin after inactivity are fragile and can fire accidentally.
• Don't give someone full access "just in case." If they have all the keys, they have your bitcoin now — not just after you die.
• Don't assume your family will figure it out. They won't. Write it down.
• Don't hide everything. Secrecy that protects your bitcoin while you're alive can destroy it when you're dead.

For US Residents

Bitcoin is property under US law. Your executor has a legal right to manage it as part of your estate. Many states have adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), giving executors explicit authority over digital assets.

Include your bitcoin in your will or trust. A lawyer familiar with digital assets can structure this properly. Pamela Morgan's Bitcoin Inheritance Guide covers the details.