Expert custody architecture and inheritance planning for individuals and families with significant Bitcoin holdings.
It is lost to its own holders — through forgotten seed phrases, hardware devices with no documented recovery procedure, and estates that contain significant Bitcoin and no plan for how heirs should access it.
Self-custody is the correct approach for serious Bitcoin holders. It is also the approach that requires the most discipline to get right. A hardware wallet purchased without a proper backup strategy. A seed phrase stored in a location the family does not know about. A multisig setup that was never documented clearly enough for someone else to execute. These are not exotic failure modes. They are the norm.
The difference between a custody architecture that holds and one that fails is not hardware — it is planning. That is precisely what expert custody counsel provides.
The hard truth: Chainalysis and other blockchain analytics firms estimate that roughly 20% of all Bitcoin in circulation — approximately 3–4 million BTC — is permanently lost. The leading cause is not theft. It is poor custody decisions and the absence of any recovery or inheritance plan.
What Bitcoin inheritance requires: Unlike a bank account, Bitcoin cannot be unfrozen by a court order. Heirs need three things: knowledge that the Bitcoin exists, the technical ability to access it, and the legal authority to do so. An estate plan that addresses only the third — and most attorneys only address the third — leaves families locked out.
A thorough assessment of your current custody setup — hardware, software, backup strategy, and operational security — with a clear, prioritized recommendation for what to keep, what to change, and why. This is not generic advice. It is a structured analysis of your specific situation.
Multisig — requiring multiple keys to authorize a transaction — is the appropriate custody architecture for holdings beyond a threshold. The question is not whether to use multisig, but what configuration fits your holding size, risk profile, and family structure. I guide you through the design and implementation without making decisions for you.
A documented procedure your heirs can follow — step by step — to locate, identify, and access your Bitcoin. This includes coordination with your estate attorney to ensure the custody plan and the legal instruments are aligned, and heir education so the people who matter know what to do when the time comes.
Custody is not a one-time exercise. Holdings grow, technology evolves, family circumstances change. An annual review keeps your architecture current — and gives you a professional checkpoint to address anything that has shifted since the last assessment.
An engagement is structured, documented, and designed to produce a lasting result — not a one-time conversation you have to reconstruct from memory.
We discuss your current setup, your holdings, your family situation, and your concerns. No technical background required on your part. This conversation defines the scope.
I evaluate your current architecture and produce a written assessment with specific, prioritized recommendations — not a generic checklist.
Where changes are needed, I guide you through implementation — step by step, at your pace. I do not touch your keys; you execute, with clear guidance from me.
A complete, plain-language document your heirs can follow. Includes coordination with your estate attorney to ensure legal and custody documents work together.
An ongoing relationship to keep your architecture current as your holdings, technology, and circumstances evolve.
Engagements are scoped to your situation and priced accordingly. Contact me to discuss your needs — a preliminary conversation carries no obligation.
Schedule a consultation. No technical background required — just bring your questions.
Schedule a Consultation