Estate and inheritance

Inherited a crypto wallet but cannot access it? Preserve first, verify authority, then assess

Legal entitlement and technical access are separate. An executor, heir, or fiduciary may lawfully control an estate while still lacking the password, wallet format, device access, or complete recovery material.

Do not experiment on the only evidence

Preserve computers, phones, hardware wallets, paper records, password hints, backup drives, and storage media. Avoid factory resets, operating-system reinstalls, disk cleanup, or repeated attempts on failing hardware.

Separate authority from feasibility

The first questions are who is legally authorized to act and what wallet material survives. Estate documents, executor authority, and identity can be discussed without sending wallet secrets through an initial form.

Inventory without exposing secrets

Record device types, file names, wallet software, approximate dates, public addresses, transaction IDs, and account labels. Do not photograph or email seed phrases, private keys, full passwords, or wallet files.

Different materials imply different paths

An encrypted wallet.dat, Electrum file, MultiBit backup, MetaMask vault, Ethereum keystore, hardware wallet, and incomplete seed each require a different technical assessment.

Limits and professional boundaries

KeyBack does not decide inheritance rights or replace legal advice. Recovery work can proceed only after appropriate authorization and only when a technically credible path exists.

Frequently asked questions

Can an heir access crypto without the password?

Legal authority alone does not decrypt self-custody material, but surviving files, devices, backups, and password clues may support an assessment.

Should the computer be taken to a normal repair shop?

Avoid repairs that overwrite or reinstall the system. Explain that preservation of wallet-related data and metadata is required.

Can KeyBack recover assets from only a public address?

No. A public address does not contain the private keys needed to spend.