Bitcoin, Ethereum und Co.: Wie vererbt man eigentlich Kryptowährungen?

Matthew Mellon, a US entrepreneur, left an estimated fortune of several hundred million dollars to his heirs in 2018. However, they were unable to access the money initially as Mellon had invested it in the Kryptowährung XRP, without providing any access details. Financial expert Sandra Klug from the Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg explained that in such cases, it is indeed impossible to obtain the money, and it is not the first time this has happened to heirs.

Are Kryptowährungen considered part of the regular estate? Yes, digital assets such as cryptocurrencies are treated the same as cash and real estate, according to Rechtsanwältin Stephanie Herzog. If there is a will, it will specify who inherits the Kryptovermögen (cryptocurrency assets). Without a will, the legal succession applies.

To ensure that heirs can access the Kryptowährung, it is important to note that simply inheriting the asset legally does not automatically grant access. If the deceased had the Kryptowährung in a regular bank account, a death certificate would suffice to access accounts like a Girokonto. Stephanie Klug noted that the same applies to Kryptowährungen held on centralized exchanges like Bitpanda or Coinbase.

However, many users prefer to manage their cryptocurrencies themselves to avoid potential issues if a cryptocurrency exchange goes bankrupt. This approach, known as Self-Custody, gives users full control over their wallets, but also places the responsibility on them to securely store the access key, called the Private Key. Stephanie Klug recommended leaving the Private Key with an attorney, writing it on a piece of paper and storing it in a safe place, or digitally storing it in a management app.

Regardless of where the information is stored, it should be clear and not encrypted. Sandra Herzog advised noting the details in a legible manner, without complex encryption.

The value of Kryptowährungen is determined based on the death date of the deceased, irrespective of the current market rate at that time, according to Steuerberater Markus Deutsch. This means that any subsequent increase or decrease in value will not affect the tax liability. The tax assessment for inheritance remains the same as for other assets, she explained.