Crypto inheritance without sharing a seed
Crypto inheritance with Ownbit means your heirs can eventually access your Bitcoin and crypto without you ever sharing a seed phrase and without trusting a company to hold your keys. It uses Accident-Protection MultiSig and an on-chain recovery handover.
Who is this for?
This is for holders who want a plan for what happens to their crypto if they die or become incapacitated — the "what happens to my Bitcoin when I'm gone" question — but who refuse to hand a seed phrase to a lawyer, a relative, or a custody company today. It keeps you in full control while you're active, and hands over only if you stop being active.
How does inheritance work without sharing a seed?
You set up an Accident-Protection MultiSig that includes your heirs as participants. While you're active, you keep normal control. If you become inactive for the recovery period (about 416 days), the accident-protection mechanism lets the remaining participants — your heirs — recover the funds, without ever having seen your seed phrase.
- EVM chains — an on-chain accident-protection contract (e.g. a 2-of-2 where, after one party is inactive past the period, the other can spend directly).
- BTC / TRON / SOL — a watch-only assisting participant (wallet ID
ownbit) that only joins signing after the period, so a 3-of-4 inheritance vault is created as 3-of-5.
Ownbit never moves your funds alone — the design makes it technically impossible. The assisting participant can only co-sign after the long inactivity period and only alongside your heirs. The contracts are open source at github.com/bitbill/ownbit-multisig-contracts.
Setting up an inheritance vault
Decide the plan
A 2-of-2 (you + one heir) or a 3-of-4 (you + heirs) are common. Choose the chain that matches how you hold the assets.
Create an Accident-Protection MultiSig
Add your heirs as participants by their wallet IDs and select the accident-protection recovery strategy.
Fund it and keep it active
Deposit the assets. While you're alive and active, sign or tap Stay Active periodically to keep control and reset the timer.
Document it for your heirs
Make sure your heirs know the vault exists, keep their own Ownbit and mnemonic safe, and understand the recovery timeline.
Limits and trade-offs
- Recovery is intentionally slow — around 416 days of inactivity — so it can't be triggered while you're still active.
- Your heirs must keep their own Ownbit wallet and mnemonic safe; if they lose theirs, they lose their share of control.
- This is a self-custody tool, not legal estate planning — pair it with proper documentation for your heirs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I leave crypto to my family without giving them my seed phrase?
Set up an Accident-Protection MultiSig with your heirs as participants. You keep control while active; after ~416 days of inactivity they can recover the funds — without ever seeing your seed phrase.
What happens to my Bitcoin when I die?
With an inheritance vault, once you've been inactive for the recovery period your heirs (the other MultiSig participants) can spend the funds. Until then, nothing changes and you retain full control.
Does Ownbit hold my keys or control the inheritance?
No. It's fully self-custodial. On BTC/TRON/SOL an assisting participant can only co-sign after the long inactivity period and only together with your heirs; on EVM it's an open-source contract. Ownbit never moves funds alone — and the design makes it technically impossible to.
Can I still spend normally while the plan is active?
Yes. While you're active you keep normal control of the wallet. Signing or tapping Stay Active resets the inactivity timer.
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Download Ownbit
Install the app, then set up a cold wallet or MultiSig for the workflow you need.