ABSTRACT
The inheritance of distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based digital assets – such as cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and tokenized claims – poses a formidable challenge to traditional civil law succession frameworks. Unlike conventional property, these digital assets are characterized by decentralization, pseudonymity, immutability and self-custody, features that complicate both their legal classification and their practical transmission upon death. This article critically examines whether and how European civil law systems can adapt to the inheritance of such assets. The study begins by defining DLT-based digital assets and situating them within the broader spectrum of digital property, before turning to their unique technological features and implications for patrimonial law. Two core succession modalities – testate and intestate inheritance – are assessed, revealing both structural limitations and procedural blind spots in dealing with blockchain-based assets. Traditional wills often fail to provide adequate access instructions, while smart contracts and blockchain-based estate planning mechanisms remain legally unrecognized and technologically immature. The article also evaluates the limits of current EU regulation, particularly Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), which, despite offering robust oversight for crypto-asset services, remains silent on inheritance, leaving the issue to divergent national regimes. Ultimately, the article calls for doctrinal and regulatory recalibration to align succession law with the operational realities of decentralized technology, ensuring digital patrimony can be effectively transmitted in the 21st century.
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Kimon Saitakis, Tokenized Succession: Inheritance of DLT-Based Digital Assets in the European Legal Order, European Review of Private Law, volume 34, issue 2/3, pp 365-392 (2026).
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