E262 3 Bad Bitcoin Inheritance Plans

Let’s talk about 3 common suggestions that are bad bitcoin inheritance plans. Why so negative? Why talk about bad bitcoin inheritance plans, rather than the good? Well, sometimes the process of elimination can help focus our thoughts, so we better understand what makes the good plans “good.”

Sharing you private keys

This is just terrible security while you’re living. Why? Because sharing your private keys with someone gives them immediate, irreversible, and unfettered access to your bitcoin hoard.

“But I trust my spouse (or kids, or best friend,” you say. I’m sure you do at this moment. But we’ve all seen thing change faster than you realize.

Maybe a great marriage suddenly veers to divorce. Or who would suspect their own child so controlled by drug addiction would poison them to get their Bitcoin?

And it doesn’t need to be so dramatic, just basic carelessness. Will your loving spouse, child, or best friend know how to keep your private keys as safe as you would? Will they get fished, or simply lose their keys?

And if they do have sole and unhacked possession of your private keys when you die, will they know what do you? Or upon your death, will they be relying guidance from a “trusted third party” to understand how to probate your bitcoin?

“Just” educate your heirs

For many, their plan is to “just educate” their heirs so that heir will know what do when you die.

Um, do you remember how long it took for you to accumulate your current bitcoin knowledge? How many mistakes did you make? How many BIG mistakes did you make?

Now imagine your heirs are grieving, stressed, and have a lot to do during probate. And on top of that they’re supposed to navigate transferring self-custody? It’s just unrealistic

Even if, by some miracle, you cram their heads full of update to self-custody knowledge today, will they stay up to date? Do they want the knowledge enough to stay apprised of protocol updates, multsig best practices, current use of QR codes or air-gapping? Or will their knowledge be obsolete by the time you pass?

Treasure maps

You think you’re writing a simple letter of instruction, but to your heirs it’ll feel more like a treasure map.

Why? Remember, your herirs will be grieving, stressed, and have a lot to do during probate. And no matter how much you “educate” them, it’s unlikely they will know know what to do upon death, and will have to rely on “trusted” third party.

And these letters/maps go out of date faster than you think, Do you really want to spend your life constantly updating your letter of instruction? By the way, this problem is the same for any will or trust, not just Bitcoin Inheritance letters of instruction.

If you want to learn more about probate in general, please check out my book, “How Probate Works.” I don’t have a Bitcoin chapter yet, but you will get a sense of how the probate process applies to your situation.

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