Uphold Closes Crypto Estate-Planning Gap with Vault Inheritance

Uphold has introduced Vault Inheritance for its customers holding Bitcoin (BTC), XRP, and Hedera (HBAR) in their assisted self-custody wallet, Vault. The feature allows users to designate a beneficiary who can claim the assets after the owner's death without needing access to them beforehand.

The issue of unclaimed assets is significant, with almost 4 million BTC worth approximately $331 billion left stranded due to owners dying or losing their private keys. Legal ownership may pass on, but cryptographic control often does not. Uphold's solution addresses this gap by enabling users to name a beneficiary who can claim the assets after the owner's death.

The process involves inviting a beneficiary from the dashboard, with no prior crypto knowledge required. The designation can be changed at any time, and the beneficiary only receives access after the owner's passing. Uphold's compliance team verifies the legal documentation before transferring control into the beneficiary's wallet.

Vault Inheritance costs $19.99 per month, and existing Vault customers will see the new plan reflected after December 31, 2026. U.S. users get a free 30-day trial. This move follows similar initiatives from other companies, such as Kresus, which introduced its own crypto inheritance service for self-custody users in July.