Dead Man's Switch
SECURITYDEFINITION
A mechanism that automatically releases bitcoin access to a designated party if the owner stops checking in for a set period — a way to plan for incapacity or death without handing over keys today.
In bitcoin custody, a dead man's switch requires the owner to periodically prove they're still active — logging into a service, signing a message, or physically visiting a location — and if that check-in is missed for a set window, access shifts to whoever was designated in advance. The switch never sees or holds the coins itself; it's a trigger, not a custodian.
The most common bitcoin-native version uses a time-delayed script on top of a multisig: an heir's key becomes spendable only after a block-height or time delay passes, and the owner resets that clock periodically by moving funds or signing a fresh transaction. Services like Casa and Unchained offer inheritance products built on the same idea, layering a check-in schedule on top of collaborative custody so a missed check-in — not a single point of failure — is what triggers the handoff.
The tradeoff is real: build the delay too short and a vacation or hospital stay accidentally triggers the handoff; build it too long and heirs wait needlessly after a real death. Most setups use tiered check-ins — a warning at 6 months, transfer eligibility at 12 — precisely to balance that risk.
IN A SENTENCE
"Set the dead man's switch to a 12-month check-in — long enough to survive a bad year, short enough your heirs aren't waiting a decade."
Key facts
Common questions
Can a dead man's switch trigger by accident?
Yes — that's the main design risk. A missed check-in during travel, illness, or a lost password can release funds early. Tiered warnings and generous windows (6–12 months) reduce that risk without eliminating it.
Does the custody provider control my bitcoin with this setup?
Not in a well-built one. The switch is a trigger condition inside a multisig or timelock script, not a party that holds funds. A reputable provider can facilitate the check-in and heir onboarding without ever having spending power alone.