Uphold Introduces Vault Inheritance for Cryptocurrency Beneficiaries
Uphold has introduced a new service called Vault Inheritance that allows customers to arrange for their cryptocurrency assets to be transferred to a beneficiary after they pass away. The company estimates that nearly $331 billion worth of Bitcoin is stranded, either due to owner deaths or missing credentials.
The supported holdings include XRP, Bitcoin (BTC), and Hedera (HBAR). Beneficiaries will not have access to the funds until their claims are approved by Uphold's compliance support team. The approval process involves reviewing legal documentation before transferring the assets into the recipient's wallet.
Uphold Vault customers who are currently paying $19.99 per month for the service will see revised pricing after December 31, 2026. According to Nancy Beaton, Uphold's president of consumer, 'Uphold Vault Inheritance gives our customers something major players in the industry haven’t offered before: a credible, straightforward way to ensure their crypto goes exactly where they intend it to.'
The service is available for users with existing accounts and new customers can take advantage of a free 30-day trial. The company's assisted self-custody model combines user control with company support for replacing cryptographic keys, the credentials used to authorize transactions.