Unchained Bitcoin inheritance review 2026: 2-of-3 multisig vault with Estate Kit, heir guidance, and Unchained's key as backstop. $25/month — best value in Bitcoin estate planning.
Unchained (formerly Unchained Capital) is a Bitcoin-native financial services company best known for its collaborative custody and Bitcoin-backed loans. But Unchained also offers a structured inheritance solution — one that takes a fundamentally different approach from Casa: instead of Unchained holding a key, you keep all the keys yourself while Unchained provides the infrastructure, process, and guidance for your heirs.
Unchained's inheritance product is built on a principle: your heirs shouldn't need to understand Bitcoin to claim their inheritance. The technical complexity — multisig wallets, hardware devices, PSBTs, key shards — all gets abstracted into a guided process that any executor can follow.
Crucially, Unchained's model does not require you to trust Unchained with a key. Unlike Casa (which holds one key in a 2-of-3 setup), Unchained's collaborative custody uses a 2-of-3 where you hold 2 keys and Unchained holds 1. For inheritance, the focus is on ensuring your heirs can access your 2 keys, with Unchained's key and guidance as backup support.
Unchained's inheritance is built around their multisig vault product:
For inheritance purposes, this means your heirs need access to at least 1 of your 2 hardware wallets plus Unchained's cooperation to move funds. Or they need access to both of your hardware wallets without Unchained's involvement.
1. Estate Kit Creation
Unchained guides you through creating an Estate Kit — a package of documents and instructions that includes:
The Estate Kit is designed to be readable by a non-technical executor. It doesn't include seed phrases — it references where they are stored.
2. Beneficiary Designation
You designate an Inheritance Contact — the person Unchained will work with after your death. This person needs:
3. Inheritance Team Engagement
When you die, your Inheritance Contact reaches out to Unchained. Unchained's dedicated inheritance team:
4. Fund Transfer
The beneficiary transfers Bitcoin to their own wallet or exchange using the guided process.
The two dominant Bitcoin inheritance services with different trust models:
| Feature | Unchained | Casa |
|---|---|---|
| Your keys held | 2 of 3 | 1-2 of 3 |
| Third-party key | Unchained holds 1 key | Casa holds 1 key |
| Monthly cost | Included in Vault subscription ($25/mo) | $199/month (Premium) |
| Heir needs | 1 hardware wallet + Unchained | Casa guides heir through any combination |
| Estate Kit | Yes (included) | Yes (included) |
| Self-sovereign path | Yes (you can always sign with your 2 keys) | Limited (Casa key is required for threshold) |
| Bitcoin-only | Yes | Yes |
The key philosophical difference: Unchained keeps you in full control — you can always transact with your 2 keys without Unchained. Casa's model requires Casa to participate in every transaction (in standard 2-of-3 configuration). Unchained's approach is more self-sovereign; Casa's is more managed.
For cost: Unchained's vault ($25/month) includes inheritance support. Casa's inheritance is only fully featured at $199/month — 8x more expensive.
Technically sophisticated users can set up their own 3-of-5 multisig using Sparrow Wallet and write detailed instructions for heirs. Why use Unchained instead?
It's worth understanding the full custody model, since inheritance is built on top of it:
Unchained never has your seed phrases. They hold one key but cannot steal your funds alone. This is why Unchained's custody is categorically different from exchange custody — there's no "Unchained gets hacked and everything is gone" scenario.
Ideal for:
Consider alternatives if:
Cost: $25/month for Unchained's vault subscription, which includes inheritance support.
Unchained's inheritance offering is the best value in structured Bitcoin estate planning — a professional-grade inheritance process built into a $25/month vault subscription. The self-sovereign model (you keep 2 keys) is more aligned with Bitcoin's principles than Casa's approach, and the cost difference is dramatic.
For the vast majority of Bitcoin holders who want their heirs to be able to claim their Bitcoin without confusion — and who don't need a $199/month dedicated advisor — Unchained is the right answer.
Rating: 5/5 — Best combination of value, self-sovereignty, and heir-accessible process in Bitcoin inheritance.
Get our free Beginners Guide to Buying Bitcoin plus weekly insights for long-term holders.
Casa Bitcoin inheritance review 2026: multisig estate planning with professional recovery coordination. Premium plan $199/month with 2-of-3 multisig and dedicated heir support.
Cipherwill helps Bitcoin holders create encrypted digital wills that deliver to beneficiaries automatically via a dead man's switch. This 2026 review covers the security model, check-in system, pricing ($9.99/mo), comparison to Vault12 and Casa, and key limitations.
Vault12 uses Shamir Secret Sharing and trusted Guardians to create a mobile-first Bitcoin inheritance system. This 2026 review covers pricing ($99/year), security model, how the inheritance event actually works, and comparison to Casa and Cipherwill.