What to Do When You Inherit Bitcoin Held at Onramp

If a family member held bitcoin at Onramp and has passed away, there are no keys, seed phrases, or hardware wallets for you to find. Onramp clients never hold them. You notify us within 90 days, send a certified death certificate and any documents we request, and complete onboarding, including identity verification. The bitcoin then passes to the beneficiaries they named, at the percentages they set.

We're sorry for your loss. This page walks through each step.

Last checked: November 10, 2026.

Step 1: Confirm the bitcoin was held at Onramp

Look for emails from Onramp, account statements, or notes in their estate papers. If you aren't sure, contact us.

Step 2: Contact Onramp within 90 days

Email us at support@onrampbitcoin.com within 90 days of the account owner's passing. Tell us who you are, your relationship to the account owner, and how to reach you.

Step 3: Send the documents

• A certified death certificate.
• Proof of your identity, plus any other documents we request to confirm the death and your identity.
• If a trust held the account, the successor trustee also sends:
  • the trust instrument or a Certification of Trust;
  • the trustee's written acceptance;
  • an EIN and W-9 for the trust.

When a funded trust holds the account, letters testamentary are generally not needed.

Step 4: Complete onboarding

Every beneficiary completes our standard onboarding, including identity verification, before any transfer. This is the same check every Onramp client goes through, and it protects you.

Step 5: The bitcoin is distributed

If the account owner signed a Transfer on Death Agreement, the bitcoin in their vault is distributed under it. Names entered in the app without a signed agreement don't count.

• Primary beneficiaries receive the percentages the owner set.
• If a primary beneficiary died before the owner, that share goes to their direct descendants. If there are none, it is divided among the surviving primary beneficiaries.
• If no beneficiary survives, the bitcoin goes to the owner's estate.

If a trust held the account, the successor trustee takes over the same account and vault, and the trust document decides who receives the bitcoin.

It takes two of three institutions (Onramp, BitGo, and CoinCover) to move the bitcoin, and no one of them can move it alone.

If There Was No Signed Transfer on Death Agreement

If the owner never signed the agreement, the account passes through their estate. We will need a court order that appoints an executor or administrator for the estate, which usually means probate. The executor then works with us on the account under the will or state law.

If a Beneficiary Is a Minor

Onramp can't name a minor as a beneficiary, because a minor can't sign the agreement or be onboarded. If the owner named a trust for the child, the trustee completes onboarding for the trust. If a child would receive a share another way, such as through a beneficiary who died first, Onramp looks to a designated trustee, a guardian, or a court's instruction. Contact us, and talk to an estate attorney.

Taxes on Inherited Bitcoin

In the U.S., inherited assets generally receive a step-up in basis: your cost basis generally resets to the market value on the date of death. Bitcoin in an inherited IRA works differently and does not get a step-up. Keep a record of the bitcoin's value on the date of death. A tax professional can confirm how this applies to you. This is general information, not tax advice.

Protect Yourself

Be cautious of anyone who contacts you offering to "recover" or "release" an inheritance for a fee, or who asks you to send bitcoin first. Contact us directly using the details above.

If Your Family Member Held Bitcoin Somewhere Else

• At an exchange or another custodian: contact that company's estate or beneficiary team. Each one has its own process. For one example, see Coinbase Inheritance.
• In their own keys (a hardware wallet or a seed phrase): don't type a seed phrase into any website or app you don't fully trust, and don't share it. Talk to the executor and an estate attorney before moving anything. Whoever has the keys can move the bitcoin, but that doesn't make them the legal owner. See When a Spouse Can't Recover the Bitcoin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a seed phrase or a hardware wallet to inherit bitcoin from Onramp?

No. Onramp clients never hold a key, a seed phrase, or a hardware wallet. You send a certified death certificate and any documents we request, and verify your identity.

How long do I have to notify Onramp?

Notify us within 90 days of the account owner's passing.

What documents do I need?

A certified death certificate and proof of your identity, plus any other documents we request. A successor trustee also provides the trust documents listed above.

What if there are several beneficiaries?

Each beneficiary receives the percentage the owner set. Each one completes onboarding.

What if the owner didn't sign a transfer on death agreement?

The account passes through the estate. We will need a court order that appoints the executor or administrator.

Does inherited bitcoin get a step-up in basis?

In the U.S., inherited assets generally do. Bitcoin in an inherited IRA does not. Confirm with a tax professional.

The same steps are in Onramp's Support Center, under Distributing Inheritance. Planning your own? Read Bitcoin Inheritance Planning: How to Pass It On, or talk to our team.