Crypto Inheritance

What are cryptocurrencies?

All forms of currency that exist digitally and use cryptography to secure transactions can be classified as cryptocurrencies (or crypto). Unlike regular (or fiat) money, they are not issued by any centralized authority; cryptocurrencies use a decentralized peer-to-peer system to record ransactions and issue new units. The technology that allows that is called blockchain, a digital ledger of sorts that enables fast recording and verification of worldwide transactions. As its name indicates, this system is comprised of multiple blocks, and the entire system is stored on all machines that use it (so all individual owners).

What are the different types of cryptocurrency?

Nowadays there are thousands of cryptocurrencies in circulation. While this is definitely exciting, it is also overwhelming and makes it difficult for people to make sense of the crypto market. Without getting into too much detail, cryptocurrencies are differentiated into several different types:

Proof of Work

Cryptocurrencies that rely on the proof of work concept introduce a model in which all nodes (parts of the blockchain) compete to solve a complex cryptographic problem. The first one to solve it shares (or broadcasts) the solution to the other participants for verification. The most famous cryptocurrencies using this model happen to be the two largest ones by their market cap: Bitcoin; , Ether (Ethereum)

Proof of Stake

This model differs from the proof of work model in a fundamental way: smaller pools of nodes compete to solve problems, as opposed to the whole network. That allows the proof of stake model to scale better and be faster than the first kind. Examples of cryptocurrencies that use this model are: Cardano, Eos , Dash

Tokens

Unlike the other two models, tokens don’t have their own blockchain system. Instead, they rely on (and are built on top of) an existing one, most commonly, nowadays, Ethereum. Their main advantage is the fact they usually represent physical value (they’re used in real estate, music and many other forms of art) and offer a diverse and easy way to buy and sell those physical assets (or parts of them) in a secure network. Some examples are: BAT, Tether

Stablecoins

Stablecoins were created in an effort to offer an alternative to the wildly fluctuating value of regular coins (such as Bitcoin and Ether). They are similar to tokens in the sense that they exist on a blockchain system that’s not their own, but at the same time, they allow trades for fiat (regular) currency; most importantly, they hold reserves of regular currency to back the value of the stablecoin. This hybrid model allows banks, for instance, to enter the crypto market. Examples of stablecoins are: Binance USD, USD coin

Why are cryptocurrencies important?

Cryptocurrencies are important for multiple reasons:

They are decentralized
There isn’t a central issuing authority, such as a central bank for normal currencies. This is crucial in terms of accessibility, ease of use, security, and application.

They’re owned by everyone
Cryptocurrencies use a peer-to-peer network. There are exchanges where you can perform transactions; however, you can generally just transfer whatever agreed currency you want to any other party; it’s fast and secure.

Transactions are fast, easy, secure, and global
Unlike regular money transfers, there is very little added complexity to making a transfer with a cryptocurrency. Transactions are much faster (due to the decentralized blockchain model cryptocurrencies use), more secure, and global.

Cryptocurrencies offer a high form of confidentiality
Transactions performed via cryptocurrencies are relatively confidential, compared with regular money transfers. This is a two-edged sword; then again, there are always pros and cons.

Technology
Last but not least, the existence of cryptocurrency relies on groundbreaking technology: blockchain. In a nutshell, the blockchain is a system for recording transactions – a digital ledger that is distributed and copied onto multiple systems – the entire network involved in the blockchain itself. This makes it very hard to cheat or hack the transactions performed within this system. This technology extends much further than merely cryptocurrencies and has found applications in multiple aspects of life.

Cryptocurrencies in terms of Legacy and Inheritance

Cryptocurrencies came about in 2008 (when the whitepaper introducing Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency, was published), whereas the legal regulation of inheritance dates back thousands of years. So speaking about cryptocurrencies in terms of inheritance is a classic tale of old vs new, but with a twist.

There are fundamental differences between cryptocurrency and age-old assets that have been part of someone’s legacy and can be inherited. Nevertheless, cryptocurrencies are assets and consequently offer most, if not all, of the following benefits.

• Can cryptocurrencies be inherited?

Cryptocurrencies are definitely a digital asset, and, as such, they can be inherited. If you’ve invested in crypto and would like to leave those assets to your loved ones, you absolutely can.

• Can I include cryptocurrencies in my will?

You can, most definitely, include your crypto assets in your will. The loved ones you’ve designated as your beneficiaries will be able to inherit them like any other asset, all regular laws applicable.

Are there any risks with regards to crypto inheritance?

There are risks involved with everything. The main risk you and your loved ones face in terms of crypto inheritance is related to the anonymity of cryptocurrencies. Whether using a cold or hot wallet (referring to using either a physical, external device that is not connected to the internet or software that connects to the web), the main risk is your loved ones simply not knowing you have crypto in order to inherit it. So your crypto could be lost, literally forever.

Via a digital legacy service, however, you’re able to store just enough information on your crypto investments to allow your loved ones to inherit them should something happens to you. DGLegacy neither stores nor authorizes any transactions with cryptocurrencies, thus adding a much-needed additional layer of protection.

DGLegacy® and Crypto Inheritance

What does DGLegacy® have to do with a Crypto Inheritance?

With DGLegacy®, you can protect your Crypto assets and loved ones in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

As a leading global digital inheritance service, DGLegacy® can help you navigate the complex landscape of crypto inheritance.

Simply catalog your digital, financial, non-financial and crypto assets and assign them to your preferred beneficiary, at the time you choose – while ensuring that your executor will know where to find your will.

With DGLegacy®, you can protect all types of assets. It is also easy to keep your list of assets and beneficiaries up to date.

This way, in the event of anything unforeseen happening to you, your loved ones:

Are aware of your assets
Can identify and locate your assets
Can minimize the chance of unclaimed assets.

This is achieved with the following easy steps:

Catalog assets and passwords

Designate beneficiaries and trustees

Detecting if something happens to you

Informing your loved ones about the assigned assets and passwords

Support for your loved ones

Catalog assets and passwords

You catalog the assets and passwords that you want to protect via DGLegacy, with the minimum basic information about the assets that will allow your beneficiaries to identify and locate them.

We don’t ask for confidential information such as your bank account number, the value of your stock options, or financial account numbers!

Next step

Designate beneficiaries and trustees

Beneficiaries are the people whom you appoint to be informed about the assets and passwords that you assign to them. These are usually your partner, your children or your extended family members, such as siblings and parents.

You can choose whether the beneficiaries are to be notified at the time you create the asset or only in the case of an unforeseen event.

If your beneficiaries are, for example, elderly people or children, they might not be proficient with the type of assets assigned to them. In that case, we recommend that you assign trustees for each of your assets. If something happens to you, they can help the beneficiaries to locate their assigned assets and claim ownership.

Next step

Heartbeat protocol

The custom-engineered Heartbeat protocol of DGLegacy verifies that you are OK and detects whether anything unforeseen has happened to you.

It is a safe procedure which also aims to eliminate the possibility of false detections of unforeseen events at any cost.

This is implemented through a multistep process, described on the How It Works page.

Next step

Heartbeat protocol triggering (unforeseen event detection)

If there is no confirmation in response to any of the reminder emails or phone calls, part of the Heartbeat protocol, the system detects that an unforeseen event has happened to you.

Then the notifications which you have configured into the system about the catalogued assets and the associated beneficiaries and trustees are triggered.

Next step

Support for your loved ones

Our ultimate goal is to provide you with the right service to protect your assets and secure your loved ones’ inheritance.

Our team of experts worked with a renowned law firm to offer additional protection for your loved ones through the legal package “Guide and Inform”, part of the Platinum subscription.

In the case of an unforeseen event, the law company will engage with the beneficiaries to guide and help them in the process of claiming the assets you’ve assigned to them.

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