A family continuity plan for crypto access

A continuity plan has three separate jobs

A useful plan helps another person understand that digital assets exist, identify the relevant custody arrangements and obtain lawful, qualified help. It does not mean placing a live recovery phrase in a family chat or giving every participant unrestricted access. Legal authority, technical recovery and secret handling are different problems; a plan is only complete when it accounts for all three.

Start with an inventory that names providers, wallet types, devices, public addresses and the location of instructions. Keep the inventory separate from the signing secrets it describes. A provider account may have one recovery process, while a self-custodied wallet may depend on a recovery phrase, a device PIN or an additional passphrase. Do not assume a password or device alone restores access.

Make the instructions usable under stress

Write the steps in plain language: who should be contacted, which official documentation applies, what information must never be disclosed and when a lawyer, tax adviser or other qualified professional is needed. Store the instructions where the intended person can find them, but where casual visitors, cloud-sharing links and ordinary email cannot expose them. Local succession and estate rules differ, so legal advice matters.

Test the process without revealing the secret

Use a fictional wallet or a documented test environment to confirm that the person can identify the device, find the correct maker and understand the order of operations. Ask them to explain where the recovery method is held without asking them to read the words aloud. A plan that depends on one person remembering an undocumented trick is not resilient.

A common failure

A relative finds a hardware device and its PIN but has no idea which wallet accounts it controls or where the recovery instructions are stored. Another family member has a photograph of the phrase in a phone backup. Both outcomes come from mixing instructions and secrets. Keep the plan simple, access-controlled and independently reviewed. For the security boundary, read recovery phrases explained.