IF YOU DIE WITH YOUR CRYPTO STILL SITTING ON AN EXCHANGE, YOUR FAMILY MIGHT NEVER SEE A SINGLE DOLLAR OF IT.

Not because it's lost. Because it's locked behind a KYC wall your family doesn't even know exists.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM
Self-custody wallets are simple. Whoever has the seed phrase has the funds.
Exchanges are different. Your account isn't just "yours" — it's tied to your identity, your login, your KYC documents. When you're gone, the exchange doesn't hand it over just because someone says "he was my dad" or "she was my wife."
They need proof. Legal proof. And most families don't have it ready.
WHAT EXCHANGES ACTUALLY ASK FOR*
- Death certificate (certified copy, not a photo)
- Proof of relationship (will, probate documents, sometimes a court order)
- Government ID of the person claiming access
- In some cases, a notarized letter or legal representative
Miss one document, and the process resets. Some claims take months. Some get denied outright if the paperwork isn't exact.
WHY THIS IS WORSE THAN A BANK
Banks have decades of legal precedent for inheritance. Crypto exchanges don't. Every platform has its own process, its own support team, its own timeline — and most were never designed with this in mind.
Your family isn't just grieving. They're fighting a support ticket queue with no lawyer and no idea what to submit.
THE FIX TAKES 15 MINUTES

- Note the registered email and account name on each
- Write down where your recovery documents are kept
- Name one person who knows this list exists
- Check if the exchange has a formal inheritance/estate process — some do, buried deep in their help center
ONE LAST THING
If you're holding serious value on an exchange "just for convenience," ask yourself: does anyone besides you know it's even there?
Because an exchange doesn't send flowers. It sends a support form.