Self-custody is powerful, but extremely fragile without an estate plan.
Most bitcoin losses occur not from hacks, but from human errors.
Mathías has a diploma in cryptoeconomics, he is expert university student in blockchain, DeFi, & NFT and self-custody, speaker at {(₿)} Bitcoin.ar, educator at Satoshi Bookstore (B4OS), official partner of Liana Wallet (wallet for inheritances).
In Bitcoin, self-custody grants freedom, sovereignty and complete control. But that freedom implies taking risks which, if not managed correctly, can erase your digital heritage forever. Unlike the traditional financial system, there is no recovery form, no customer service, and no institution that can restore your access if you lose your keys.
Forgetfulness, accidents, moving, extortion, family conflicts and natural disasters are everyday scenarios that can leave your satoshis inaccessible. Even if your funds continue to exist on the blockchain, they may be forever out of reach for you or your heirs.
In this article We review 10 real risksfrequent and very little discussed, which affect both beginner and expert users. And we explain why Bitcoin heritage—with multisig, timelocks, and gradual access plans—must be an essential part of modern heritage.
1. Forgetting the seed: the single point of absolute failure
The seedphrase (12/24 words) defines the mathematical origin of your private keys. If it is lost or mismemorized, access disappears forever. It’s like destroying the only key to a safe.
2. Loss of hardware wallet during a move
Boxes, transfers and domestic chaos. A lost hardware wallet without verified backups leaves your family without the possibility of rebuilding the wallet.
3. Disability due to stroke and/or accident: when you are the sole custodian
If no one else knows your system, routes, keys or processes, your satoshis are trapped, even if you are alive but incapacitated.
4. Theft, extortion and/or coercion: physical pressure breaks any mental security
Mental security does not resist real threats. Without passphrase, key scattering or multisig, an attacker can force you to give up access.
5. Natural disasters that destroy your backups
Fire, water or landslides can remove seeds on poor quality paper or plates. A single physical point of failure destroys decades of savings.
6. Trust your memory and forget the passphrase over the years
A well-done passphrase is complex. Forgetfulness, word mixing, or cognitive decline can close your digital vault forever.
7. Technological obsolescence of the device or software
Unsupported hardware, discontinued firmware, or incompatibilities may prevent you from signing transactions in the future.
8. Family conflicts without clear access rules
Bitcoin does not recognize heirs. Without roles, instructions and documentation, the family falls into suspicion, arguments and total blockage.
9. Risk of confiscation by the State or authorities
Bitcoin is censorship-resistant, but your devices are not. Raids or seizures can force you to hand over keys if your architecture does not contemplate geographic dispersion and multisig.
10. Business assets without a succession scheme
Many companies accumulate BTC, but do not define what happens if a key partner is missing. A poorly designed multisig can paralyze the entire operation.
Conclusion: inheritance in bitcoin is part of security
These risks are not theory: they happen every day. Most bitcoin losses come not from sophisticated attacks, but from human failure and lack of planning.
In Bitcoin, protecting your future means creating a mechanism where your sats can outlive you.
Essential recommendations
Training and mastery of the tool
It is not enough to configure a wallet. You must know how timelocks, keys, backups, and recovery simulations work.
Professional support
Each person, family and/or institution has a different context: asset structure, technical level, risks, personal dynamics, internal processes, possible heirs. This map needs to be interpreted to design tailored solutions.
Multidisciplinary skills
A self-custody expert must have judgment, operational experience, asset vision, hardware wallet management, risk analysis, active listening, customer understanding, effective communication, modular approach, professional ethics, neutrality, among other skills.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to its author and do not necessarily reflect those of CriptoNoticias. The author’s opinion is for informational purposes and under no circumstances constitutes an investment recommendation or financial advice.