Inheritance Law — Digital Assets
Digital Inheritance in Israel —
What Happens to Your Online Assets
Cryptocurrency, Google accounts, Facebook profiles, online businesses — digital assets are part of your estate. Adv. Liron Elmaliach helps families plan ahead and guides heirs through accessing digital assets after a loved one passes.
Most people carefully plan what happens to their home, savings, and personal belongings after they die — yet rarely consider the growing portion of their wealth and identity that exists entirely online. Digital inheritance is one of the fastest-evolving areas of Israeli estate law.
Without proper planning, digital assets — from Bitcoin holdings to a profitable online store — may be permanently inaccessible to heirs. Unlike a bank account, there is no customer service line to call when a private key is lost.
Adv. Liron Yitzhak Elmaliach advises individuals on structuring their digital legacy and assists heirs in recovering and transferring digital assets as part of the inheritance process.
Which Digital Assets Can Be Inherited?
Digital inheritance is an emerging area. In Israel, digital assets — cryptocurrency, online bank accounts, loyalty points, domain names, and online businesses — are generally considered part of the estate under the Inheritance Law 5725-1965. Physical assets (hardware wallets, printed seed phrases) pass through probate like any tangible property; purely digital accounts depend on each platform's terms of service.
Key asset categories heirs encounter include:
- ▸Crypto wallets and seed phrases — Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies held in self-custody wallets. Access depends entirely on locating the seed phrase or private key.
- ▸Israeli bank and investment apps — digital accounts at Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Discount, and brokerages are transferable upon presentation of a legal inheritance order.
- ▸PayPal and Payoneer balances — treated as financial accounts; heirs may request transfer upon providing death certificate and legal authority.
- ▸Google Inactive Account Manager — Google allows you to designate trusted contacts who can access or delete your account data after a period of inactivity. Set this up in your Google account settings.
- ▸Facebook Legacy Contact — Facebook permits designation of a person to manage your memorialised profile. Without this setting, heirs have limited options.
Planning Your Digital Legacy — What to Do Now
Without a plan, digital assets may be inaccessible or lost forever. Unlike a physical safe, there is no locksmith who can open a Bitcoin wallet — and no bank manager who can override a forgotten password. Practical steps you should take now:
Create a secure digital asset inventory. List every significant account — email, banking apps, crypto wallets, domain registrars, PayPal — along with login instructions or password manager access. Store this securely (not in the cloud) and inform a trusted person of its location.
Name a digital executor in your will. Designate a person responsible for managing your digital estate. Describe their authority in your will so heirs and platforms recognise their role.
Store seed phrases securely. Hardware wallets and handwritten seed phrases should be stored in a fireproof safe or with a notary. Never photograph seed phrases or store them in email.
Activate platform legacy features. Enable Apple Digital Legacy (available in Israel via iOS 15.2 and later) to allow a designated contact to request iCloud data access. Set a Google Inactive Account Manager contact. Designate a Facebook Legacy Contact.
Notify family. Even without sharing passwords, ensure at least one trusted family member knows that digital assets exist and where to find the inventory document.
Frequently Asked Questions — Digital Inheritance in Israel
Practical answers about crypto, online accounts, and digital assets after death
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