If something happens to you

Bitcoin has no bank to call when someone dies. If it sits in a wallet whose keys only the owner knew, it stays exactly where it is, forever. Passing it on takes a little planning: the right people need to know it exists, where it is, and how to reach it, without anyone else being able to.

Coins that never move

At block 972,307 (20 October 2026), 3.59 million bitcoin, about 18% of all coins, had not moved in ten years or more. Some belong to people who are simply holding. Some were lost to forgotten passwords, thrown-away hard drives, and owners who died without telling anyone how to reach them. The chain can't tell which is which. See lost and sleeping coins.

Two very different cases

Where it is	What family needs
An exchange or app account	To know the account exists. The company has an estate process, usually asking for a death certificate and proof of who inherits. It can take months.
A wallet whose keys you hold	The backup words, or the device and its PIN, plus enough instructions to use them. Without those, nobody can help, not even the wallet's maker.

What people commonly do

• Write a letter of instructions. Which accounts and wallets exist, what kind they are, where the backup is kept, and who to ask for help. Not the words themselves.
• Keep the words separate from the instructions. For example, in a sealed envelope with a trusted person, a safe-deposit box, or a lawyer, so no single place reveals everything.
• Mention it in the will without the words. In some countries a will can be read by others after death, so the words don't belong in it.
• Choose someone who can follow the steps, or note a person they can trust for technical help.
• Consider shared wallets. Some people use a wallet that needs two of three keys, held by different people, so no single loss or theft is final.

This is general information. For a will, speak to a lawyer where you live; rules on wills and inheritance differ by country.