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An instruction letter your family could follow
If something happened to you, a plain letter could tell your family which wallets exist, where the backup lives, and who to call.
Written by John AlewineReviewed by the Crypto Guidance team
Published ยท Updated
The last line of the self-custody checklist on my Security page reads: "I have a plan for how my family would access my crypto if something happened to me." A family that wouldn't know where to look is one of the mistakes I keep seeing in sessions.
So one thing I do in a consulting session is help you write an instruction letter a tired family member could follow.
What the letter covers
- Which wallets and exchange accounts exist.
- Where the paper backup is stored. The letter points to the location. It does not contain the seed phrase.
- Who to call.
- What not to do: never type the seed into a website, and never trust someone who messages offering help.
Where a chatbot fits
A family member might ask an AI chatbot how to get into a crypto wallet. It can explain general steps. It cannot know which wallets you have, where the backup lives, or which exchange accounts exist. Only your letter can say that.
The seed phrase goes nowhere, ever. I am not your CPA or your lawyer, and a lawyer handles wills and estate documents. The Security page checklist and the leave crypto to your family guide go further. If you want help writing the letter, that is ordinary consulting.