● Guide

How to Transfer Digital Assets After Death Without Risk

A technical and legal guide to ensuring your crypto, files, and accounts reach your heirs safely.

What Happens to Digital Assets After Death?

For most people, the default outcome is permanent data loss. Without a specific plan, online accounts become inaccessible "zombie" accounts or are deleted by platform inactivity policies.

The 3 Possible Outcomes:

1. Accounts are frozen forever (no one has the password).
2. Platforms delete data after 1-2 years of inactivity.
3. Heirs try to "hack" in, risking legal trouble.

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Account Locked

Identity could not be verified.

Legal & Technical Barriers

Even with a court order, getting access to a deceased person's email or cloud storage is incredibly difficult.

1
Privacy Laws (GDPR/CDPA)
Protect the privacy of the deceased, often preventing companies from handing over data.
2
Platform Policies
Most user agreements state that the license to use the software ends upon death.

How Automated Transfer Works

Deheritance solves the legal and technical gridlock by setting up a pre-approved technical transfer. It's not "hacking"—it's a triggered release of your own data keys.

1. Trigger Event — We detect inactivity or receive a "dead man's switch" notification.

2. Verification — We verify the event through multiple channels (e.g., trusted verifiers).

3. Key Release — The decryption keys for your encrypted pods are released to the specified heir's account.

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Transfer Complete

Frequently Asked Questions

Who triggers the transfer?

You choose the method. It can be a trusted person (Verifier) who confirms your passing, or a purely automated inactivity timer (e.g., if you don't login for 12 months).

Can it be reversed?

Only before the transfer occurs. Once the keys are released to the beneficiary, they have access. That's why we include "liveness checks" before final release to prevent false alarms.

How long does it take?

It depends on your settings. You can set a delay (e.g., 30 days after verification) to allow for a grace period.

Don't Risk Data Loss

Set up a secure, automated transfer and ensure your digital assets survive you.

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