If something happened to you, could your family find your crypto? Custody notes for users in Ukraine

Most crypto security advice focuses on keeping other people out. That is essential, but it can lead to the opposite problem: if you are suddenly unable to manage your accounts, even the people you trust most may not know that the funds exist, where they are held or how to begin a legitimate claim. Exchange accounts may be accessible through formal processes, while self-custody wallets without a recoverable phrase may be lost entirely. Preparing a custody note solves much of this without weakening your security today. This guide explains what such a note should contain, how to store it, how exchange accounts differ from self-custody wallets in an emergency and how to keep the note current. It does not replace legal advice about inheritance in your situation.

Describe what exists, not how to unlock it

Write a list of the exchanges where you have accounts, such as Binance, OKX, Bybit or Bitget, and the email address linked to each. List any personal wallets by type and approximate purpose. Do not include passwords, authenticator codes or seed phrases in this list. Its job is to tell trusted people what to look for and whom to contact, not to give them immediate access.

Understand how exchange accounts are handled

Exchanges generally have formal procedures for situations where an account holder has died or is incapacitated, usually requiring official documents. The official help centre of each exchange describes how to contact support in such cases. Note in your custody document that relatives should use these official channels only and never trust people who approach them offering to unlock accounts.

Plan carefully for self-custody wallets

Self-custody wallets depend entirely on the recovery phrase. Decide how a trusted person could access it if necessary, for example a sealed copy stored in a secure place they know about, while you keep the original. Think about the risk of the copy being found by others, and avoid digital copies. Some people split information between locations or people, but simplicity also matters, since a plan that is too complex may fail when it is needed.

Store and update the note

Keep the custody note in a secure physical place and tell one or two trusted people where it is. Review it whenever you open or close an account, change email addresses or move funds between wallets. A note that lists accounts you closed years ago, while missing your current wallet, causes confusion at the worst moment. Record the date of each update on the note itself.

Risk boundary: Ukraine Crypto Guide

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Scenario checkpoint

• List exchanges, linked email addresses and wallet types without any passwords or phrases.
• Note that relatives should use only official exchange support channels in an emergency.
• Decide how a trusted person could reach a sealed copy of a wallet recovery phrase.
• Keep the custody note in a secure physical place known to one or two trusted people.
• Update and date the note whenever accounts, emails or wallets change.