Most people own significant digital assets — online accounts, files, cryptocurrency, domain names, social media profiles, digital photos — and almost none of it is covered by a standard estate plan. The legal framework for digital inheritance is still evolving, and many platforms have their own rules that override what your will says.
What counts as a digital asset
Digital assets fall into a few categories:
Financial: cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, others), PayPal and Venmo balances, investment accounts with online-only brokers, online savings accounts.
Content and creative work: photos and videos (Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox), domain names and websites, digital files, online stores, blogs with advertising revenue.
Accounts with ongoing value: email accounts, password managers, loyalty and reward programs, subscription services, gaming accounts with purchases.
Social and legacy: social media profiles (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X), LinkedIn, email correspondence.
The problem with digital assets and wills
A traditional will can say "I leave my digital assets to my spouse," but that language doesn't actually give your spouse access. To access most accounts, you need login credentials. And even with credentials, many platforms prohibit account sharing or transfer under their terms of service.
Cryptocurrency is a specific case: without the private key or seed phrase, assets in a wallet are permanently inaccessible. The phrase "not your keys, not your coins" applies to inheritance: if you die without leaving access to your private keys, your cryptocurrency is effectively destroyed.
Legacy features on major platforms
Several major platforms have built-in succession tools:
Google Inactive Account Manager lets you specify what happens to your Google account (Gmail, Drive, Photos, YouTube) if it's inactive for a period you set. You can designate trusted contacts who receive access or download your data.
Apple Digital Legacy lets you add legacy contacts who can access your iCloud data after your death with a special access key. Set this up in your Apple ID settings.
Facebook Memorialization allows you to designate a legacy contact who can manage your memorialized profile. You can also request account deletion instead.
These tools work outside your will and are often more reliable than leaving account credentials in a document.
The letter of instruction
A letter of instruction is a private document that accompanies your will but isn't filed with any court. It's the right place to document digital access — not in the will itself, which becomes public record.
Your letter of instruction can include: your password manager login (use a reputable manager like 1Password or Bitwarden), cryptocurrency wallet locations and how to access them, a list of all significant accounts and where they're held, instructions for which accounts to close and which to preserve, and guidance for social media memorialization.
Keep this document in a secure location and tell your executor where it is. Update it when accounts change. will.com's letter of instruction tool can help you organize this information.
Cryptocurrency deserves special attention
Cryptocurrency inheritance planning is more technical than other digital assets. Options include:
Hardware wallet: devices like Ledger or Trezor store private keys offline. Your executor needs the physical device AND the PIN or seed phrase. Store them separately and document how they work.
Seed phrase storage: if you store crypto in a software wallet, the 12 or 24-word seed phrase is everything. Store it on paper or metal, not digitally. Consider splitting it between two secure locations and leaving instructions for how to combine them.
Exchange accounts: cryptocurrency held on exchanges like Coinbase or Kraken can be inherited more traditionally — the exchange has its own beneficiary and estate procedures. Check your exchange's specific process.
If your holdings are significant, consult a professional who specializes in digital asset estate planning.
Don't put passwords in your will
Your will is a public document — once it enters probate, anyone can access it. Never put passwords, seed phrases, or account credentials in your will. Put them in a letter of instruction or a secure password manager, with your executor knowing how to access it.