Digital Assets and Your Estate in BC
Your digital life — crypto wallets, online accounts, social media, cloud storage — doesn't disappear when you die. But accessing it without a plan can be nearly impossible for your family.
Key Takeaways
- Digital assets with monetary value are part of your estate
- Cryptocurrency without accessible keys is lost forever — no institution to contact
- BC law hasn't fully caught up with digital assets, making advance planning critical
- Most platforms have legacy/inactive account processes, but they take time
- A digital asset inventory and secure credential storage can save your family months of work
What counts as a digital asset?
Digital assets fall into two broad categories:
Assets with monetary value
- Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, NFTs — anything in a wallet
- Online investment accounts: Wealthsimple, Questrade, interactive brokers
- Payment accounts: PayPal, Wise (TransferWise), Stripe balances
- Domain names: Registered domains can have significant value
- Digital businesses: Online stores, SaaS subscriptions, ad revenue accounts
- Loyalty points and rewards: Aeroplan, credit card points (policies vary)
- Digital media: iTunes libraries, Kindle books (note: most are licensed, not owned)
Assets with practical or sentimental value
- Email accounts: May contain important documents, correspondence, and access recovery for other accounts
- Cloud storage: Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox — family photos, documents
- Social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn — memorialization or deletion
- Password managers: The master key to everything else
- Subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, software — need to be cancelled to stop charges
The cryptocurrency problem
Cryptocurrency creates a unique estate planning challenge. Unlike bank accounts, there is no institution holding your money. If you hold crypto in a self-custody wallet, the private keys or recovery phrase are the only way to access the funds.
If those keys die with you, the crypto is gone. Permanently. There is no court order, no institution, and no technical workaround that can recover it.
Estate planning for crypto must include:
- Secure storage of private keys and recovery phrases (not just in your head)
- Instructions for your executor on how to access them
- Information about which wallets and exchanges you use
- Consideration of a hardware wallet with the recovery phrase stored separately
BC law and digital assets
As of 2026, British Columbia does not have specific legislation addressing digital assets in estates. WESA was written before cryptocurrency and cloud computing became mainstream. However:
- Digital assets with monetary value are generally considered part of the estate under existing property law principles
- An executor's authority under a grant of probate extends to all estate assets, including digital ones
- Access to accounts may still be governed by the platform's terms of service, which can conflict with estate law
Some Canadian provinces are considering digital asset legislation. BC may follow. In the meantime, advance planning is the only reliable solution.
Platform-by-platform: what happens to your accounts
| Platform | After death |
|---|---|
| Inactive Account Manager lets you choose what happens. Can share data with trusted contacts or delete the account after inactivity. | |
| Apple | Legacy Contact feature (iOS 15.2+). Designated contacts can access your account data with a death certificate. |
| Facebook / Meta | Legacy Contact can manage a memorialized account. Alternatively, family can request account deletion with proof of death. |
| Can be memorialized or removed. Requires proof of death. | |
| Account can be removed by family with proof of death. | |
| Banks / brokerages | Standard estate process — death certificate and grant of probate. |
How to plan for digital assets
Step 1: Create a digital asset inventory
List every account that has monetary value or that your executor might need. Include:
- The platform or service name
- The type of asset (financial, access, sentimental)
- Approximate value (for financial assets)
- How to access it (username, 2FA method)
Step 2: Store credentials securely
Options include:
- Password manager with a master password known to your executor
- Sealed envelope stored with your will (at a lawyer's office or safety deposit box)
- Hardware security key stored in a safe location
Do not list passwords directly in your will — wills become public documents through probate.
Step 3: Set up legacy contacts
Where platforms offer legacy contact or inactive account features, set them up now. Google, Apple, and Facebook all offer these tools.
Step 4: Address digital assets in your will
While you shouldn't include passwords in your will, you can:
- Name who should receive your digital assets
- Reference the existence of a digital asset inventory and where it's stored
- Give your executor explicit authority to access and manage digital accounts
- Specify what should happen to social media accounts (memorialize or delete)
Step 5: Talk to your executor
Make sure your executor knows digital assets exist and where to find access information. An executor who doesn't know about your crypto wallet can't protect it.
Frequently asked questions
Are digital assets part of your estate in BC?
Yes. Digital assets with monetary value are part of the estate. Access to accounts may also be needed by the executor.
What happens to cryptocurrency when you die?
It depends on how it's stored. Exchange-held crypto can be claimed with a death certificate and probate. Self-custody wallets without accessible keys means the crypto is lost forever.
Can my executor access my online accounts after I die?
It depends on the platform. Setting up legacy contacts and keeping credentials accessible to your executor makes this much easier. Without advance planning, it requires death certificates and sometimes court orders.