Executors contacting us after a holder’s death share a common frustration: they have a bank safe-deposit box key, a lawyer’s letter, and no idea which devices matter. The holders who make handover straightforward leave behind an estate binder — not seed phrases, but a map.
What the binder contains
A device inventory listing every hardware wallet with serial numbers and current status (active, retired, unknown). A backup inventory noting format, location, and which family member has access — without revealing seed content. Exchange account names (not passwords) used for historical withdrawals. The name and contact of any professional who has conducted an audit.
What it deliberately excludes
Seed phrases, passphrases, PINs, and private keys. These belong in separate secure storage governed by your estate plan, not in a document an executor might photocopy for the probate court.
The briefing conversation
The binder works only if someone knows it exists. Schedule an annual conversation with your executor or a trusted family member. Walk them through the binder’s location and general structure. They do not need to see seed material — they need to know whom to call.
Professional audit as binder foundation
A Page Aspen Hub full audit produces a report that can serve as the binder’s core inventory section. Clients often request an additional “executor summary” — a two-page document in plain language describing next steps without technical jargon.
Death is the scenario every cold storage holder avoids discussing. The binder is how you discuss it without compromising security during your lifetime.