Does Coinbase have a beneficiary option?

No, Coinbase does not have a beneficiary option for individual accounts. Coinbase's help center states that it doesn't currently support naming a beneficiary, so there is no setting where you can add a beneficiary to a Coinbase account. Instead, the account passes according to your estate planning documents or, if there are none, your state's inheritance law.

Can you add a beneficiary on Coinbase?

Not as of November 2026. Coinbase's help pages say it is not currently possible to name a beneficiary directly within a Coinbase account, and they do not mention any transfer-on-death or payable-on-death setting. Coinbase points customers toward arranging beneficiaries through an estate planning attorney, so the assets are distributed under a will or other legal arrangement.

That is a key difference from a self-custody wallet. Coinbase holds the keys for your account, so your heirs deal with Coinbase's claims process. With a self-custody wallet there is no company to contact, and whoever has the seed phrase controls the funds. For more on that split, see custodial vs non-custodial wallets.

What happens to my Coinbase account if I die?

Your crypto and cash stay in the account until someone with legal authority claims them. Coinbase says ownership passes under estate planning documents or, where there are none, under state intestate law, the rules that decide heirs when there is no will.

If no one comes forward, the account can eventually be treated as abandoned. Coinbase explains that each US state sets its own dormancy period, commonly one to five years. Before the deadline Coinbase sends notices to the contact details on file, then transfers the assets to the unclaimed property office of the relevant state. Some states require crypto to be converted to US dollars, in which case only that dollar amount can be claimed later.

How do you claim a deceased person's Coinbase account?

The person named in the probate documents files the claim through Coinbase's contact form. Coinbase lists these documents:

• The official death certificate
• Probate or estate documents, such as Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, an Affidavit for Collection or a Small Estate Affidavit
• A valid government-issued photo ID for the person named in those documents
• A signed letter from that person saying which Coinbase account, including its email address, should receive the assets

The person receiving the assets needs their own Coinbase account. Coinbase says requirements can vary by region and circumstances, and it will ask by email for anything extra.

Is there a Coinbase beneficiary form?

No. Because Coinbase does not support beneficiary designations, there is no beneficiary form to fill in. The only Coinbase form in this process is the decedent claim submitted after death. Be wary of anyone offering a "Coinbase beneficiary form" by email or message. Planning steps such as wills, trusts and sharing account details safely are covered in what happens to your crypto when you die.

Rules differ by country and state and change often. Check with a qualified estate lawyer for your own situation.