# Transfer on Death

> Cryptographic estate planning. Digital assets transfer to designated beneficiaries only when death or incapacity is cryptographically attested by authorised parties. No probate. No custodian dependency.

## The Inheritance Problem

Self-custodied digital assets famously die with their owner. Custodial inheritance depends on a custodian's continued existence, solvency, and willingness to act. Neither model provides predictable, dignified, or jurisdictionally enforceable inheritance.

## How Phantom Secrets™ Solves It

The owner defines a policy that authorises beneficiary access only upon cryptographic attestation of death or incapacity by named parties (medical authority, legal authority, family members, or any combination). The asset's controlling key cannot be reconstructed for beneficiaries until that attestation is produced and verified. Once produced, the asset transfers atomically and the original owner's reconstruction capability is revoked.

## Use Cases

- Personal estate planning for digital asset holders
- Trust structures for family wealth involving cryptographic assets
- Continuity planning for businesses dependent on a single signer
- Sovereign and institutional inheritance frameworks

## Related

- Digital Inheritance solution: /api/md/solutions/digital-inheritance
- Phantom Secrets™: /api/md/products/phantom-secrets