What happens to your bitcoin after you die? — Quartz

No one knows how long cryptocurrencies will last, but it’s a decent bet they might outlast you. Passing your digital holdings on to loved ones after your death isn’t as simple as bequeathing cash or other property, though, particularly since wills aren’t designed for confidential information.

Because a private key is all that’s necessary to transfer funds from a wallet, including it in your will might be a terrible idea. “I would strongly advise against anyone putting any information they consider private into their will,” says estate planning attorney Gordon Fischer. “Wills, after your death, become court documents and are generally public documents, accessible by anyone.”

A private key is like an unchangeable password, which is generated when you create a new cryptocurrency wallet. It should always be kept as safe and secure as possible.

Although a will might not enter public records immediately, it’s unwise to risk exposing the keys to your crypto wallets at all….