E253 3 Steps When a Bitcoin Owner Dies

<p>What do you do if someone dies owning Bitcoin, but you have NO IDEA how Bitcoin works? How do you recover the Bitcoin, so it doesn’t get lost forever? Right now, Bitcoin is delicately owned, meaning the tools of ownership are still being ironed out. It’s still very easy to have an accidental catastrophic loss.</p> <p>Here are the basic steps to find the keys to the decedent’s Bitcoin.</p> <p>Note that the steps below assume that the decedent’s Bitcoin is not on exchange, since the claim process for an exchange is very similar to traditional bank or brokerage. As exchange is a platform like CoinBase or Gemeni, where you have an account with that entity. Most hard-core bitcoiners have a personal custodied hardware wallet instead. Here, we are talking about those bitcoiners.</p> <h2>1. Look for hardware wallets</h2> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-41644" src= "https://anthonyspark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Look-for-hardware-wallets-300x169.jpg" alt="Look for hardware wallets" width="300" height="169" /></p> <p>Looking for a wallet is the first and easiest step, because it’s something physical to look for. A hardware wallet may look like a USB drive, a type of smartphone, or a pocket calculator. Not sure what you’re looking at? Open Google images and search for “hardware wallet.”</p> <p>If you find a hardware wallet, you probably need a PIN code to unlock the device. If you can’t figure out the PIN, at least you know the decedent owned a hardware wallet. If you can't figure out the PIN, make sure to try step 3 below (word lists).</p> <p>If you have the PIN, congrats. You’re able to unlock the device to access the decedent’s Bitcoin keys stored inside. (Note – the Bitcoin is not actually on the device. The device is a key to the Bitcoin). You can now use the hardware wallet to access, sell, or transfer the decedent’s Bitcoin. So, be sure to treat the PIN and device very securely.</p> <h2>2. Check phone and computer for software wallets</h2> <p><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-41645"