Self-custody changes estate planning. A good Bitcoin inheritance plan must protect your coins during your lifetime while still making them recoverable by the right people after you are gone.
Bitcoin gives individuals something rare: the ability to hold wealth without relying on a bank, broker, or custodian. That is one of its greatest strengths.
It is also what makes inheritance unusually difficult.
With traditional assets, there is usually an institution in the middle. A bank can freeze an account, verify documents, work with courts, and transfer control. Bitcoin does not work that way. The network does not recognize heirs, death certificates, probate filings, or customer-service requests. It recognizes keys and spending conditions.
That creates a simple but serious problem: the same steps that make bitcoin hard to steal can also make it hard to pass on.
