What Happens to Your Crypto When You Die?

TL;DR: Without a plan, your crypto is gone forever. Your family can't access it. Banks can't help. Courts can't help. It's just... gone.

The Harsh Reality

When you die, your crypto doesn't go to your family. It doesn't go to the government. It doesn't go anywhere.

It just sits there. Forever. Inaccessible.

Why? Because you are the only person who knows your seed phrase.

Real Stories of Lost Fortunes

The $240 Million Bitcoin Inheritance

In 2021, a crypto investor died suddenly. His family knew he had Bitcoin. They knew it was worth millions. They just couldn't access it.

The seed phrase was written on a piece of paper. That paper was lost during the move to a new house.

$240 million. Gone.

The Quadriga Exchange Disaster

When QuadrigaCX founder Gerald Cotten died in 2018, he took $190 million of customer funds with him. He was the only one with the private keys.

His widow, the company, the courts—nobody could recover the funds.

$190 million. Lost forever.

Your Story (If You Don't Act)

You have $50,000 in Bitcoin. Maybe $100,000. Maybe more.

You die in a car accident tomorrow.

Your spouse knows you have crypto. Your kids know. But they don't know your seed phrase. They don't know which wallet. They don't know which exchange.

It's all gone.

Why Traditional Inheritance Doesn't Work for Crypto

Banks Can Reset Passwords. Crypto Can't.

If you die with $100,000 in a bank account, your family can access it. They show a death certificate. The bank releases the funds.

Crypto doesn't work that way.

There's no "forgot password" button. There's no customer service. There's no central authority.

Your seed phrase is the ONLY way to access your crypto. Lose it = lose everything.

Lawyers Can't Help

Your lawyer can't subpoena Coinbase for your seed phrase. Coinbase doesn't have it.

Your lawyer can't ask a judge to reset your wallet. There's no one to ask.

Crypto is designed to be inaccessible without the seed phrase. That's the whole point.

The 3 Terrible Options Most People Choose

Option 1: Tell Your Spouse Your Seed Phrase

Problem: Now you have a single point of failure. If they forget it, lose it, or get hacked, you're both screwed.

Also, what if you get divorced? What if they die first? What if they're not trustworthy?

Option 2: Write It Down and Put It in a Safe

Problem: Safes get stolen. Houses burn down. Papers get thrown away during moves.

Also, if you die, does your family know where the safe is? Do they know the combination?

Option 3: Do Nothing and Hope for the Best

Problem: This is what 90% of crypto holders do. It's also the worst option.

When you die, your crypto dies with you.

The Solution: Shamir's Secret Sharing

This is where Shardium comes in.

Instead of having one seed phrase that's a single point of failure, you split it into 3 shards:

• Shard A: You keep (password manager or safe)
• Shard B: Your heir keeps (USB drive or printed)
• Shard C: Stored encrypted on Shardium's servers

Any 2 shards can recover your seed phrase. But 1 shard alone is useless.

What Happens When You Die?

1. You stop responding to Shardium's 90-day check-in emails
2. After 90 days of no response, Shard C is automatically emailed to your beneficiary
3. They combine Shard C with Shard B (which you already gave them)
4. They recover your seed phrase
5. They access your crypto

Your family inherits your assets. Automatically. No lawyers. No courts. No lost fortunes.

How to Set This Up (5 Minutes)

1. Go to shardium.xyz
2. Enter your seed phrase (client-side encryption only)
3. It splits into 3 shards
4. Save Shard A in your password manager
5. Give Shard B to your heir (USB or print it)
6. Shard C stays encrypted on Shardium's servers
7. Enter your email and your beneficiary's email
8. Done.

Cost: $49/year or $129 lifetime.

Alternative: Self-host for free (it's open source).

The Bottom Line

Your crypto doesn't have to die with you.

You have 3 options:

1. Do nothing and let your family lose everything
2. Trust one person with your entire seed phrase (risky)
3. Use Shamir's Secret Sharing and sleep soundly

I built Shardium because I was terrified of Option 1. Now I sleep.

Secure your crypto inheritance →

Max Comperatore is the founder of Shardium. He's been in crypto since 2017 and has seen too many people lose fortunes because they didn't have a plan.