Crypto Inheritance Calculator
Free Crypto Inheritance Calculator. Plan digital asset succession with multi-sig setup costs, estate tax estimates, and heir distribution modeling.
Plan Crypto Inheritance
Enter your crypto estate details to estimate taxes, per-beneficiary amounts, and get custody recommendations.
How to use Crypto Inheritance Calculator
The Crypto Inheritance Calculator plans how a crypto estate passes to heirs. Enter the total crypto value, the number of beneficiaries, the estate tax rate that applies to you, whether a will or estate plan exists, and how the coins are held (exchange, hardware wallet or multi-sig). It returns the estate tax, the net estate, each beneficiary's share, and a custody and multi-sig recommendation sized to the estate.
Use the results to decide whether a multi-signature setup, a documented recovery plan or a trust is worth it at your estate size. A $500,000 estate split between three heirs at 0% (a US estate far below the federal exemption) leaves about $166,667 each; at an effective 25% it leaves $125,000 each. Either way, an estate heirs cannot access is worth nothing, which is why the custody recommendation sits next to the tax figure.
What do the inputs mean?
Total Crypto Value is the current dollar value of all holdings. Estate Tax Rate is applied to that whole value, so enter the effective rate you expect rather than the top bracket: 0% for most US estates (the 2026 federal exemption is $15M, made permanent by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act); for the UK, 40% applies only to the excess over the £325,000 nil-rate band. Number of Beneficiaries splits the net estate equally.
Has Will / Estate Plan and Custody Method do not change the tax; they drive the recommendations. The output shows Total Estate Value, Estate Tax Owed, Effective Tax Rate, Net Estate, the amount per beneficiary, a custody recommendation and a suggested multi-sig arrangement. For country exemptions and heir-relationship tiers, use the inheritance tax calculator.
How to interpret results correctly
The inheritance calculator works on today's value, not a projection: it applies your Estate Tax Rate to the whole Total Crypto Value and splits what remains equally, leading with Net Inheritance per Beneficiary and listing Estate Tax Owed, Effective Tax Rate and Net Estate below. It applies no exemption threshold and flags no trust or gifting strategy, so for an estate under the US federal exemption ($15M in 2026) enter 0%; the custody and multi-sig advice under the figures steps up once the estate passes $100K and again above $1M.
There is no jurisdiction setting, so the Estate Tax Rate you type is the only tax input; check it against your own country's rules. Crypto inheritance tax treatment varies dramatically: the US provides a stepped-up cost basis at death (heirs pay zero capital gains on pre-death appreciation), while some European countries tax inherited crypto at 30–55%. This single variable can change the optimal strategy from 'hold until death' to 'gift annually' depending on jurisdiction. Cross-check projected gains with our tax calculator.
What scenarios can you model?
Long-term estate planning: you hold 5 BTC ($368,500) and want to ensure your children can access it. Without planning, heirs may not know your wallet exists, cannot access hardware wallet PINs, or face probate delays of 6–18 months. Enter $368,500 and the Multi-Sig Setup line suggests a 2-of-3 arrangement (one key with you, one with a trusted family member, one with an attorney), while the Custody Recommendation for a hardware wallet asks you to store and document backup seed phrases. The calculator does not score inheritance risk, so the recovery procedures are yours to write.
Annual gifting strategy: the US allows $19,000 per recipient per year tax-free (2026). Gifting 0.24 BTC ($17,688) annually to each child creates a tax-efficient transfer that also distributes risk. Over 10 years at current prices, this transfers 2.4 BTC per child ($176,880) with zero gift tax. The calculator does not model gifts or growth, it values the estate on a single date, so track cumulative transfers yourself and enter only what you still hold.
What should you check before you act?
- Before running the numbers: 1) Confirm your jurisdiction's crypto inheritance tax rules, many changed in 2024–2025. 2) Enter today's market value, not a price target; the tool has no growth rate, so keep any separate projection conservative (5–10% a year, not 50%). 3) Include all crypto holdings across all wallets and exchanges, not just the largest position.
- After calculating: document your crypto recovery plan in a secure location accessible to heirs. This must include: wallet locations, seed phrase storage, exchange account details, and instructions for accessing each. A crypto estate plan is worthless if heirs cannot physically access the assets.
What mistakes make this calculation wrong?
- The most catastrophic mistake in crypto inheritance is failing to create any access plan. An estimated 3–4 million BTC (worth $220B+) are permanently lost, many because holders died without sharing wallet access. No amount of financial planning matters if the private keys die with you. Seed phrases stored only in your memory are an inheritance failure waiting to happen.
- Another critical error is using optimistic growth projections for estate planning. Planning around 'BTC to $500K' creates unrealistic expectations and may lead to inadequate tax preparation. Use conservative estimates (5–10% annual growth) for planning purposes and treat higher outcomes as upside rather than baseline expectations.
What is a realistic range to expect?
Estate tax thresholds by jurisdiction: US federal $15M (2026), UK £325K nil-rate band, Germany €400K for children, Japan 10–55% graduated. For crypto-heavy estates near these thresholds, proactive planning can save 20–40% of the estate's value versus reactive tax preparation after death.
Crypto recovery success rates: properly documented multi-sig setups have near-100% heir recovery rates. Hardware wallets with documented PINs/seeds: ~95%. Exchange accounts with named beneficiaries: ~80% (subject to platform policies). Undocumented wallets: <5% recovery rate. Invest in documentation proportional to your holdings' value.
Execution templates you can reuse
Immediate action items: 1) Create a written inventory of all crypto holdings (wallets, exchanges, DeFi positions). 2) Store seed phrases in a fireproof safe with instructions accessible to your executor. 3) Consider a portfolio rebalance to consolidate scattered holdings into fewer wallets for simpler inheritance. 4) Review and update annually.
For holdings over $100K, consult a crypto-specialized estate attorney. The cost ($2,000–$5,000 for a comprehensive crypto estate plan) is trivial compared to the potential 40% estate tax on unprepared transfers or the 100% loss from inaccessible wallets.
Data hygiene and model maintenance
Review your crypto inheritance plan every 6 months. Update wallet inventories when you open new exchange accounts, create new wallets, or significantly change positions. Test your recovery procedures annually, have a trusted person attempt to locate (but not access) your documented assets using only your written instructions.
Keep inheritance documentation technology-agnostic. Write instructions that do not depend on specific software versions or interfaces that may change. 'Navigate to Settings > Security > Recovery Phrase' may be outdated in 2 years. Instead, describe the general principle: 'The 24-word seed phrase stored at [location] restores the wallet in any BIP-39 compatible application.'
Final validation before capital deployment
Test your inheritance plan by simulating a recovery scenario. Give your written instructions to a trusted tech-savvy person and ask them to identify (without actually accessing) every crypto position you hold. If they cannot locate all assets from the documentation alone, the plan has gaps that need fixing before they matter.
Validate tax projections by consulting a CPA familiar with crypto estate planning in your jurisdiction. Tax laws change frequently, a projection based on 2024 rules may be materially wrong under 2026 rules. Annual professional review ensures your plan reflects current law.
Where these numbers come from
This calculator is driven by 2 tracked values across 1 jurisdiction. The most recent hand verification was 13 October 2026. Each value records the page it was read from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it — the full ledger is on the methodology page.
| Value | On this page | Source of record | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| United StatesUS federal estate tax basic exclusion (disclaimer text) | $15,000,000 | irs.gov statute | 2026-10-13 |
| United StatesUS federal estate tax top rate (default input value) | 40% | irs.gov statute | 2026-07-06 |
A dash under “Verified” means the value carries over from the initial audit without an individually dated re-check — not that it is known to be stale. See how we verify.
Authoritative sources
Frequently asked questions
What is a crypto inheritance calculator?
A crypto inheritance calculator helps plan how heirs will access wallets, including estate tax estimates and multi-sig handoff strategies. Key inputs: portfolio value, jurisdiction, number of heirs, and chosen custody model (single sig, multi-sig, MPC, or custodial).
How do I leave crypto to heirs?
Three common methods: (1) seed phrase split via Shamir Backup (heirs need 2-of-3 shards to reconstruct); (2) multi-sig (e.g., 2-of-3 with executor + heir + lawyer); (3) custodial inheritance via Coinbase, Casa, or Unchained which have legal handoff procedures. Never leave a single seed in a will — it becomes public on probate.
Is inherited crypto taxable?
In the US, inherited crypto receives a stepped-up basis to fair market value at date of death — heirs pay CGT only on appreciation after inheritance. Estate tax applies if total estate >$15M (2026 federal exemption). UK: 40% inheritance tax above £325k threshold, no step-up.
What is the most common crypto inheritance mistake?
Single point of failure — keys known only to one person. Surveys estimate $140B+ of BTC is permanently lost from owner deaths. Use 2-of-3 multi-sig with one key with you, one with executor, one in a sealed deposit box; document the recovery process WITHOUT writing the seed itself.
Casa vs Unchained vs DIY multi-sig — which to choose?
Casa Sapphire/Diamond ($1k–10k/year) handles estate planning + key recovery. Unchained Capital offers collaborative multi-sig with legal trust integration. DIY (Sparrow + 3 hardware wallets) is free but heirs need technical skill. For >$500k portfolios, paid services pay for themselves in reduced loss risk.
Should I tell my heirs about my crypto?
Yes — but in stages. They need to know: (1) crypto exists in your estate, (2) where to find recovery instructions, (3) who to contact (executor, custody service). They do NOT need to see seed phrases until you die. Use a "letter of last instruction" stored with your lawyer.
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