Crypto multi-sig trusts & wills

Full transcript

0:11 I’m Max Dilendorf, an attorney. I’ve been in the crypto space since 2017, helping clients protect and plan for their digital wealth. If you hold crypto in self-custody—Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other digital assets—and want to make sure your family or heirs can securely access it one day, this video is for you. Over the years, I’ve handled more than a hundred arbitration cases involving stolen or lost crypto from exchanges.

0:44 One thing is clear: keeping crypto on U.S. exchanges or unprotected wallets is not safe.

0:51 Strong, proactive security and legal planning are essential.

0:56 Today, I’ll walk you through a practical framework for crypto estate planning that combines two powerful elements—a 2-of-3 multisignature vault and a revocable living trust.

1:10 Here’s how this practice it practice: You hold one key.

1:14 A reputable, insured third-party multisig provider holds the second key.

1:21 And a third key is controlled by your revocable trust.

1:26 This design ensures that during your lifetime, you retain control.

1:31 But if something happens to you, your family has a clear and legally recognized way to access your assets without depending on a single device or seed phrase.

1:43 Many people rely entirely on one hardware wallet—a Ledger, Trezor, or similar device—believing that’s enough. But if your PIN or recovery phrase is lost or unknown to anyone else, your digital assets can become permanently inaccessible. There’s no “reset” option for blockchain keys. Why Hardware Wallets Alone Aren’t Enough To reduce that risk, clients can establish a 2-of-3 multisignature vault setup.

2:11 Where you control one key, the trusted provider holds one, and one is linked to your estate plan through a revocable trust. The trust doesn’t hold your crypto directly—it simply manages one of the keys in accordance with your instructions.

2:32 From a legal standpoint, you can also include a pour-over will, which moves any additional crypto into the trust at death, and a letter of wishes that provides practical guidance—like where backups are stored, who to contact, and how to use the multisig system.

2:51 This approach balances control and continuity. It keeps your assets secure during your lifetime but ensures they’re not lost if something unexpected happens.

3:01 These structures are already being implemented by founders, investors, and family offices that understand that digital wealth management goes beyond custody—it’s about long-term security and planning. With this planning approach, you don’t give up control. You gain structure and clarity. If you hold significant crypto and haven’t yet built a legal plan around it, now is the time to consider doing so.

3:30 If you’d like to explore how to implement a setup like this—whether it’s the multisig vault, trust documents, or overall estate framework—our team assists clients with digital estate planning and crypto security strategies. Thanks for watching, and subscribe for more insights on crypto law, wealth protection, and cybercrime trends.

A transcript of the recording, so it reads as speech rather than as prose. It explains the law in general terms and is not advice on your own situation, which turns on facts this video cannot know.