Writing instructions for the person who takes over

The hardest failure in crypto succession is the one where nobody ever learns the assets existed. A bank account has an institution to ask; a self-custody wallet has no account holder and no counter to approach. So the first job of an instruction document is simply to say that the assets are there. Completeness matters far more than precise figures.

Three things belong in it. What exists: the exchanges you use, how many wallets and of what kind, how many hardware devices. Where to look: where the wallet inventory is kept, where the hardware devices sit, where a key backup physically lives. And whom to consult: the contact details of a tax accountant or lawyer you already work with.

What must not appear is equally clear: seed phrases, private keys, PINs, exchange passwords, two-factor recovery codes. The moment those are written in, the document itself becomes something that can move your assets. And since the whole point is that your family knows where this document is, including keys means the keys sit permanently within reach of everyone in the household — a theft and loss risk you created yourself.

Write for the actual reader. Usually that is a relative who knows nothing about crypto. Telling them to restore a MetaMask seed onto a Ledger conveys nothing. What works is closer to: there is a small black device in the desk drawer; it stores crypto assets; handling it requires expertise, so please start by contacting the person below.

Finally, this document is not the legal instrument. It conveys facts; it does not determine who inherits what. Who succeeds to the assets, and what form a document must take to be effective, follow legal requirements, and improvised arrangements can be invalid or can themselves cause disputes. Prepare the instructions, then have the succession as a whole designed with professionals — a lawyer, a tax accountant, a judicial scrivener — who understand both inheritance and crypto.