Succession and crypto-assets

Crypto-assets raise particular problems in succession. The heirs of a deceased person acquire the estate by operation of law, including the crypto-assets, although they can access self-custodied crypto-assets only if they have the private keys. Many holders have not made arrangements for the transmission of their keys, so that the assets are lost when they die. Holders who have made arrangements face the problem of keeping the keys secure during their lifetime while making them available to their heirs after death.

Wealthy holders of crypto-assets need advice on these questions. Possible solutions include the deposit of keys with a notary or a trusted custodian, the use of multi-signature wallets in which several keys are held by different persons, and the transfer of crypto-assets to a regulated custodian whose account passes to the heirs in the ordinary way. Part F discussed succession planning in Zug more generally. For crypto-assets, the technical dimension of access must be added to the legal dimension of the transfer of ownership.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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