The Grim Reaper is cryptocurrency's biggest "HODLer"
Original Article Title: The Biggest Buyer Of Crypto Is Death
Original Article Author: @PixOnChain, Crypto KOL
Original Article Translation: Saoirse, Foresight News
Crypto enthusiasts always say, "Not your keys, not your coins." This statement sounds powerful and is indeed true. However, behind this statement lies a mirrored logic — "Only your keys can truly own your cryptocurrency."

If no one else knows how to access your wallet, then at the moment you take your last breath, your cryptocurrency is effectively "gone." Of course, this is not a literal disappearance — it still exists on the blockchain ledger. But economically, it is akin to being burnt.
So, how big is this "Death Buyer" phenomenon?
Today, most cryptocurrency holders are quite young, with the majority falling between the late twenties and early forties.

There are very few holders beyond retirement age, making the issue of "Death-Induced Cryptocurrency Loss" easily overlooked. Nevertheless, the associated data is still staggering:
· There are approximately 60 million deaths globally each year (based on a total global population of around 8 billion);
· There are around 500 million cryptocurrency holders globally (equivalent to 1 in 16 people holding cryptocurrency);
· Due to cryptocurrency holders being younger on average than the global population, their death rate is lower, with a conservative estimate of around 0.2% annually;
· Based on this calculation, approximately 1 million people (500 million × 0.2%) out of 500 million holders will pass away each year.
Currently, most cryptocurrency is still self-custodied by individuals, with very few making inheritance plans. Even if only 10% of deceased individuals' wallets cannot be accessed due to the absence of knowledge of how to access them, around 100,000 wallets become inaccessible each year. Assuming conservatively that the average balance in these inaccessible wallets is only $20,000, approximately $2 billion in cryptocurrency exits circulation yearly. Furthermore, this number will continue to grow over time — after all, the younger generation will also age.

The percentage of cryptocurrency "destroyed" annually due to death
This leaves us with a key question: Since the advantage of self-custodying cryptocurrency is the removal of intermediaries, how can we avoid reintroducing intermediaries when passing on these assets?
Inheriting Assets Not Originally Designed for Inheritance

Currently, most solutions tend to lean towards two extremes: either simple yet fragile, such as storing the mnemonic phrase in a bank safe deposit box (easy to lose, easy to steal); or secure yet too complex for anyone to actually use. Neither of these solutions is satisfactory, so I have adopted a compromise—a simple three-step inheritance method that is easy to remember, difficult to crack, accessible anytime and anywhere, and ensures 100% non-custodial (i.e., without relying on intermediaries). The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Set Up a Dedicated Single-Page Website
Create a single-page website using a "obscure domain name" consisting of 3-4 words—this type of domain name is not something an average person would easily type into the search bar, but it should have special meaning to you for easy memorization. Additionally, prepay hosting fees for more than 10 years in advance and set up automatic renewal to ensure the long-term accessibility of the website.
Step 2: Encrypt the Mnemonic Phrase into a Numeric String
Choose a book you like, identify the most common publisher of that book, and purchase 10 copies (ensuring each book has identical page numbers and layouts). Then, convert your cryptocurrency wallet's mnemonic phrase into a numeric string: for each word in the mnemonic phrase, locate its position in the book and record the "page number - line number - word position in that line". For example, "112, 3, 5" represents "Page 112, Line 3, 5th word." Convert all mnemonic words into numeric strings using this method.
Step 3: Upload the Numeric Strings to the Dedicated Website
Simply publish the converted numeric strings in list form on your dedicated website, following this format:

By the way, this is a numeric string corresponding to a real mnemonic phrase, linked to $500 worth of cryptocurrency. However, the website domain name is fictional, and the actual mnemonic phrase is hidden in a certain book. Just a hint: I absolutely love detective novels. Wishing you all happy "treasure hunting"~
I know this may sound a bit "over the top," and some people may think it's unnecessary, but this approach can indeed make asset inheritance more flexible while ensuring security. You can further enhance security by, for example, using a rare book or a self-printed book to store the location information corresponding to the seed phrase; of course, you can also skip the hassle and simply put a hardware wallet (Ledger) and a metal plate engraved with the seed phrase in a safe deposit box. Otherwise, your cryptocurrency may end up being "donated" to the blockchain (i.e., permanently out of circulation).

You may also like

ThunderChain Resumes Legal Battle as Former CEO Chen Lei Accused of Embezzlement for Cryptocurrency Speculation - What Happened Back Then?

$200K Annual Salary Hiring, Predicting Market Will See Wall Street Players

Matrixdock releases latest semi-annual physical gold audit report, strengthening physical gold transparency practices

Senate Committee Delays Crypto Bill Due to Coinbase’s Objections
Key Takeaways The Senate Banking Committee has postponed its planned markup of a major crypto market structure bill…

Eric Adams Denies “Rug Pull” Allegations Linked to NYC Token Despite Significant Losses
Key Takeaways: Eric Adams firmly denies allegations implying that money was moved out of the NYC Token. Market…

Transforming the Cryptocurrency Landscape: A 2026 Outlook
Key Takeaways Cryptocurrency systems have seen expansive growth and technological innovation. The introduction of new regulations has reshaped…

BonkFun Cuts Creator Fees to Zero: Are We Witnessing a New Era in Meme Coin Launchpad Wars?
Key Takeaways BonkFun has eliminated creator fees for its “BONK Classic” launches, with a reduced swap fee of…

Mantra Slashes Staff and Restructures Following ‘Brutal’ OM Token Collapse
Key Takeaways The OM token experienced a dramatic price collapse, prompting a significant restructure within Mantra, including job…

Senate Crypto Bill Hands Treasury “Patriot Act–Style” Surveillance Powers
Key Takeaways The Senate crypto bill proposes new sweeping surveillance powers for the U.S. Treasury, reminiscent of the…

Animoca Brands Acquires Somo to Advance Web3 Collectibles Strategy
Key Takeaways: Animoca Brands has acquired Somo, a gaming and collectibles studio, to fortify its position in the…

Current Landscape of Cryptocurrency Exchanges in 2026
Key Takeaways The cryptocurrency exchange market is notably competitive, with each platform offering unique strengths to attract users.…

An Insight into the Dynamics of Crypto Market Trends
Key Takeaways The article provides a comprehensive look at the latest developments in the cryptocurrency market. Insight is…

Senate Crypto Bill Markup Rescheduled to January 27 Amid Legislative Momentum
Key Takeaways The Senate Agriculture Committee has rescheduled the release of the legislative text for crypto market structure…

Bitchat Downloads Surge in Uganda as Government Implements Internet Shutdown Before Elections
Key Takeaways: Uganda’s government enforced an internet blackout ahead of elections, pushing citizens to download Bitchat, a decentralized…

CLARITY Act Hearing Suddenly Postponed – Where Does the Disagreement Lie?

Lighter CEO Tackles “FUD” Claims Amid Sudden LIT Price Plunge
Key Takeaways LIT token experiences a significant price decline of 8% within 24 hours. Rumors circulate about a…

BSC’s USD1 Pool Meme Coin ‘An’ Sees Significant Surge
Key Takeaways The BSC chain’s USD1 pool meme coin ‘An’ experienced a notable market cap surge, exceeding $47.92…

YO Protocol Suffers $3.7 Million Loss in Unfortunate Swap Incident
Key Takeaways YO Protocol experienced a $3.7 million loss due to a mistaken swap involving YoUSD. The incident…
ThunderChain Resumes Legal Battle as Former CEO Chen Lei Accused of Embezzlement for Cryptocurrency Speculation - What Happened Back Then?
$200K Annual Salary Hiring, Predicting Market Will See Wall Street Players
Matrixdock releases latest semi-annual physical gold audit report, strengthening physical gold transparency practices
Senate Committee Delays Crypto Bill Due to Coinbase’s Objections
Key Takeaways The Senate Banking Committee has postponed its planned markup of a major crypto market structure bill…
Eric Adams Denies “Rug Pull” Allegations Linked to NYC Token Despite Significant Losses
Key Takeaways: Eric Adams firmly denies allegations implying that money was moved out of the NYC Token. Market…
Transforming the Cryptocurrency Landscape: A 2026 Outlook
Key Takeaways Cryptocurrency systems have seen expansive growth and technological innovation. The introduction of new regulations has reshaped…