Digital assets in your will — UK guide after the 2025 Act
Quick answer: You can leave digital assets in your will, but never put passwords or seed phrases in the will itself. Use a separate secure access plan and tell your executor where to find instructions.
English law now confirms that many digital assets can pass under your will. The hard part is making sure your executor can actually access them.
What the 2025 Act changed
The Act clarifies that digital assets can be property you own and transfer on death in England and Wales. It does not solve access — your executor still needs keys or exchange cooperation.
Plan for ownership and access
An original digital-estate planning illustration
An executor needs to identify the assets and follow a secure access process. Legal instructions and private-key security need to work together; do not publish recovery phrases.
Read the diagram as text
- 01. Inventory. Record what exists and where the records are kept.
- 02. Legal instructions. Document your wishes and the appropriate executor role.
- 03. Secure access plan. Arrange a safe recovery process without exposing secrets.
Practical steps
List what you hold and where. Store access instructions separately from the will — for example a solicitor's sealed letter or secure vault. Consider a letter of wishes explaining how to handle crypto.
Plan the handover using the executor’s crypto-estate guide alongside appropriate legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave 'all my crypto' in one clause? +
Yes, but name a beneficiary and ensure access instructions exist outside the public will document.