Cryptocurrency is inheritable under law, but a blockchain doesn't recognise probate. Without a documented seed phrase or private key, wallets stay locked forever — even from the rightful heir. We help solicitors, executors and families plan for, locate, value and securely access inherited crypto, across all blockchains and custodial services.
We work alongside legal professionals, families, and institutions to locate and administer inherited digital assets through legitimate channels.
Cryptocurrency is legally inheritable, but the blockchain has no concept of probate. Whether an estate is straightforward or complex often comes down to one factor: how the crypto was held, and whether access was documented in advance.
| Aspect | Exchange / custodial wallet | Self-custody wallet |
|---|---|---|
| Who holds the assets? | The exchange or custodian | The deceased, exclusively |
| Point of contact for heirs? | Yes — the provider | None |
| What heirs need | Proof of entitlement (grant of probate / letters of administration) | The seed phrase or private key — nothing else works |
| If access details are missing | Provider can usually still initiate a recovery process | Assets are permanently and irreversibly lost |
| Inheritance risk | Low to moderate — varies by jurisdiction | Very high without documented access |
For exchange-held crypto, providers typically freeze the account once notified of a death and release it once a grant of probate or equivalent is submitted — though not every exchange recognises foreign inheritance documentation equally. For self-custody wallets, there is no recovery process and no customer service line: anyone holding the seed phrase has full control, regardless of whether they are the rightful heir. This is the same self-custody principle that makes the asset secure during life and the same one that makes it vulnerable at death.
Most crypto inheritance failures aren't legal problems — they're documentation problems. A short list of practical steps closes most of the gap.
From locating hidden wallets to producing court-ready valuations, our forensic team handles every stage of the crypto estate process — for estates where planning happened, and for the more common case where it didn't.
Our estate investigations follow the same forensic rigour applied to every case — designed to produce evidence admissible in probate, tax, and legal proceedings.
We assess available documentation, device access, known exchange accounts, and digital indicators of crypto holdings.
Advanced cross-chain forensic analysis to locate wallets, trace transaction history, and identify exchange relationships.
We liaise with exchanges and custodians through legal channels to confirm holdings and obtain access documentation.
Comprehensive written report detailing all identified assets, valuations, methodology, and chain-of-evidence documentation.
Expert testimony, supplementary reports, and coordination with your legal team throughout the probate process.
Many estates involve assets spread across multiple chains, DeFi protocols, and privacy-enhanced services. We deploy specialist tooling for every scenario.
We track transactions across different blockchain networks — continuing the trace where standard tools stop — to locate assets moved between chains.
We correlate deposits and withdrawals on crypto exchanges and services to trace funds, often without needing formal information requests to progress.
Our team unravels complex transactions involving privacy-enhancing tools, isolating and tracing fund flows that would otherwise remain hidden.
Advanced techniques including data scraping and clustering to identify and attribute wallets, distinguishing between services and individual holders.
We analyse DeFi contracts and protocols to understand every step of fund movement — crucial where the deceased used decentralised platforms.
By combining on-chain data with publicly available information, we enhance investigation accuracy and provide solid evidence for legal proceedings.
Our estate services integrate seamlessly with existing probate, legal, and financial processes across jurisdictions.
We act as a specialist forensic partner alongside legal teams handling estates with known or suspected cryptocurrency holdings, producing reports suitable for court, HMRC, and regulatory submission.
Executors have a legal duty to identify all estate assets. We provide the tools and documentation to fulfil that duty where digital assets are concerned — no technical knowledge required.
If a family member passed away holding crypto and access is unclear, we help locate, value, and secure those assets through a careful, sensitive forensic process.
Where a client's estate includes digital assets, we provide the specialist tracing and valuation support to complement your estate planning and administration work.
Cryptocurrency is increasingly relevant in insolvency proceedings. We support asset identification, tracing, and recovery in both personal and corporate insolvency contexts.
We provide expert witness support, forensic blockchain analysis, and evidential reports for criminal and civil proceedings involving inherited or contested digital assets.
Drawing on years of experience in complex digital asset investigations, we offer estate strategies tailored to the specifics and goals of each case — working closely with legal teams, law enforcement, and virtual asset service providers across multiple jurisdictions.
Speak with an ExpertCoordinated efforts across multiple legal systems and jurisdictions worldwide.
Robust legal strategies developed alongside your solicitor or legal team.
Thorough forensic reports structured for probate, IHT, and court proceedings.
Direct collaboration with law enforcement and VASPs to freeze and secure assets.
Crypto is inheritable in the same way as any other asset, but the blockchain itself doesn't recognise probate. If holdings sat with an exchange or custodian, the provider typically freezes the account on notification of death and releases it once proof of entitlement is submitted — though recognition of foreign documentation varies. If holdings were in self-custody, only the seed phrase or private key grants access. Without it, the assets remain on the blockchain but are permanently out of reach, regardless of what a will says.
Yes — in many cases. Our forensic process begins with what is available: devices, emails, bank transfers to exchanges, browser history, and digital indicators. From these starting points, our analysts can often identify wallets, exchanges, and holdings previously unknown to the estate.
This is one of the most common situations we encounter. A significant proportion of crypto holders do not document their holdings. Our OSINT and blockchain forensics team is specifically trained to uncover undisclosed digital assets even where no records exist.
We produce formal asset valuation reports based on verifiable market data at the relevant date — typically the date of death, or as specified by your legal team. Reports are structured for HMRC submission and prepared in accordance with UK probate reporting requirements.
No. We never request private keys or seed phrases. Where wallet access is required as part of the estate process, this is coordinated through legitimate legal channels only — we never handle sensitive credentials directly.
Incapacity through illness, accident, or dementia is just as disruptive to crypto access as death — and often less anticipated. Without an advance directive or power of attorney naming someone to act, courts or protection authorities may appoint a guardian with no crypto expertise. We support legal teams structuring these provisions, and assist if access needs to be established after the fact.
Yes. We regularly act as a specialist sub-contractor to law firms and probate practices. We operate under a confidentiality agreement and our reports are produced to a standard suitable for legal proceedings and professional use.
Token Recovery operates globally. We have experience tracing assets held on international exchanges, across multiple blockchain networks, and in jurisdictions with varying legal frameworks. We coordinate legal strategy across jurisdictions as required.
Submit your case details or contact our team. Initial assessments are conducted securely and confidentially.