£480,000

Lost Forever. Not Hacked. Not Stolen.

Just inaccessible — because the owner died without leaving instructions. This happens more than you'd think. And it's entirely preventable.

Get the Guide — £39 Book a Consultation

Written by solicitors regulated by the Law Society of Northern Ireland

The Problem Nobody Talks About

Most crypto estate planning advice focuses on seed phrase storage. That's necessary but not sufficient.

Your heirs also need:

Legal ownership — without proper documentation, HMRC, exchanges, and banks will make their lives difficult
Privacy — wills become public after probate. List your Bitcoin holdings? You've just published a treasure map.
Clear instructions — that actually work when you're not there to explain

Case Study: John bought 8 Bitcoin in 2016 and stored them on a hardware wallet. He never told anyone. When he died unexpectedly, his wife found the wallet — but no PIN, no seed phrase, no instructions.

His will left everything to her. Legally, she inherited the Bitcoin.

But practically, the coins were lost forever.

8 BTC × £60,000 = £480,000 — permanently inaccessible

The blockchain still records the coins. But without the keys, they cannot be moved.

Why You Should Never List Bitcoin in Your Will

When probate is granted, your will becomes a public document. Anyone can request a copy for a small fee.

The $5 Wrench Attack: If your will reads "I leave my 500 Bitcoin to my family" — every scammer, criminal, and opportunist with a search engine will know exactly how much crypto your family holds, and where they live.

Why bother hacking a wallet when you can threaten the person who holds the keys?

The Solution:

Residue clause — Your will captures "everything else" without naming specific holdings
Digital Asset Memorandum — A private document (never submitted to probate) with access instructions

The will transfers legal ownership. The memorandum explains how to access the assets. Neither exposes your holdings publicly.

Cryptocurrency Is Property Under UK Law

In AA v Persons Unknown, the High Court ruled that crypto can be treated as property. HMRC also treats cryptocurrency as property for tax purposes.

This means:

Cryptoassets form part of your estate when you die
Executors have legal authority to deal with them
They're subject to Inheritance Tax (40% above thresholds)

But here's the catch: Control depends on who has the private keys. Your executors may legally control the asset — but without the keys, they cannot access it.

This creates a unique problem that requires both legal and practical solutions.

The Complete Guide

Bitcoin Estate Planning for UK Holders

A practical guide to protecting your crypto for family

£39

Why "just share your seed phrase" is bad advice
The ownership problem nobody talks about
UK legal status of crypto (citing actual case law)
The framework: wills, residue clauses, Digital Asset Memoranda
Step-by-step setup guide
Example wills (with deliberately missing crypto)
Common mistakes that cost families everything
Tax considerations: IHT, CGT, valuations
Advanced structures: multisig, time-locked transactions
Full template: Digital Asset Memorandum
Complete checklist

Get the Guide — £39

PDF download · 30+ pages · Instant access

Need Personal Advice?

30-Minute Consultation

£250

For complex situations: trusts, cross-border holdings, high-value estates, or when you just want professional certainty.

Review of your current holdings and storage
Assessment of your existing will
Gap analysis: what's missing, what's risky
Specific next steps for your situation
Honest advice (even if that's "you don't need us")

Book Consultation — £250

Bitcoin/Lightning accepted · Legal professional privilege applies

About Bitcoin Estate NI

Bitcoin Estate NI was created by solicitors regulated by the Law Society of Northern Ireland. With over a decade of legal experience and first-hand knowledge of Bitcoin since 2019, we built this to bridge the gap between traditional estate planning and the realities of digital assets.

This isn't generic advice written by someone who's never held a hardware wallet.

For the avoidance of doubt: We do not store hardware devices or hold any access to Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies. Your keys remain yours.

Regulated by the Law Society of Northern Ireland
We accept Bitcoin & Lightning ⚡

Common Questions

How much crypto do I need to make this worthwhile?

If losing it would hurt your family, it's worth protecting.

Do I need to share my seed phrases with you?

No. Never. We help you plan how to store and transfer access securely. We don't need (or want) your private keys.

Do I need to tell you how much I hold?

No. You don't need to share values or locations. Legal professional privilege applies — your information is protected.

I already have a will. Do I need a new one?

Often a Digital Asset Memorandum is enough. We'll advise based on your situation.

What about Casa, Unchained, or other custody providers?

Custody providers handle possession of keys. But legal title passes through your will. These must align — the same person should receive both. We can help you structure this correctly.