Kresus, a U.S.-based wallet and blockchain infrastructure company, has introduced Kresus Inheritance, a new feature that enables users of its self-custody wallet to create inheritance plans for their cryptocurrency holdings without sharing private keys or giving up control of their assets.
The service, announced on Thursday, is integrated into the Kresus Wallet and is designed to allow digital assets to be transferred to a designated beneficiary only after a predefined inactivity period and a verified succession process.
Kresus targets a long-standing self-custody challenge
While self-custody gives users complete control over their crypto assets, it also places full responsibility for recovery and estate planning on the wallet owner. Unlike traditional financial accounts, most self-custody wallets do not include built-in mechanisms for beneficiary designations or inheritance.
Kresus said its new feature is intended to address that gap by allowing users to establish a succession plan without exposing private keys or relying on seed phrase sharing.
Trevor Traina, Founder and CEO of Kresus, commented on the development, stating, “Too much digital wealth has already been lost because there was no plan for what happens next. Self-custody shouldn’t mean your assets disappear if something happens to you. With Kresus Inheritance, we’re giving users a secure and affordable way to protect their legacy and ensure the wealth they’ve built can be passed on to the next generation.”
Assets remain under the owner’s control
According to the company, Kresus Inheritance costs $99.99 per year and operates without taking custody of customer assets. Users can designate a beneficiary within the wallet, but that beneficiary cannot access the assets while the owner remains active. The transfer process begins only after a user-defined inactivity period has elapsed and the required succession verification is completed.
Kresus said private keys are never shared during the process, and wallet owners retain full control of their assets until the succession mechanism is triggered.
Estate planning becomes a growing focus for crypto users
The launch comes as cryptocurrency ownership continues to expand in the United States. Kresus cited a Harris Poll study estimating that about 55 million U.S. adults, or roughly 21% of the population, own cryptocurrency. The company also referenced research from the Cremation Institute indicating that 89% of crypto investors are concerned about what will happen to their digital assets after death.
Kresus said the feature is designed to provide a built-in estate planning option for self-custody users, allowing beneficiaries such as spouses or adult children to receive crypto holdings only after a verified succession event.
Part of Kresus’ broader wallet strategy
The inheritance feature expands Kresus’ wallet services beyond digital asset storage into long-term wealth management tools.
The company said it plans to continue building infrastructure that combines self-custody with services such as estate planning, while maintaining users’ control over their assets. Kresus currently offers consumer wallets, blockchain infrastructure, mini-app experiences, and enterprise solutions for digital assets and tokenized financial products.
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