The 30-Minute Crypto Recovery Plan

Most crypto holders know they should have a recovery plan.

Most do not have one.

The gap is usually not knowledge. It is the assumption that it will take too long to set up.

It does not.

A complete crypto recovery plan that covers loss, accidents and inheritance gaps can be built in about 30 minutes.

Here is how.

Step 1: Make the Inventory (10 Minutes)

Open a blank document.

List every place you hold crypto.

Be complete:

• Hardware wallets
• Software wallets
• Exchange accounts
• DeFi positions
• NFT holdings
• Any account or wallet your family would not immediately know about

If it holds value, include it.

For each item, write:

• What it is
• Where the keys and backups are kept

You are not writing down passwords, PINs or seed phrases. Only locations.

Example:

• Ledger Nano X
• Holds Bitcoin and Ethereum
• Stored in fireproof safe in master closet
• Seed phrase on metal plate in safe deposit box, Wells Fargo branch on Main Street

Step 2: Record the Recovery Steps (10 Minutes)

Now document what would actually be needed to recover each item.

Be specific. Assume the reader is not you.

Record where things are and how to use them, not the secrets themselves.

For a hardware wallet:

• Device location
• Seed phrase backup location
• Whether a passphrase is used, and where it is kept

For an exchange account:

• Username
• Where the password is kept
• Email associated with the account
• How two-factor sign-in is set up (authenticator app, text message or security key) and which device it is on
• Where the two-factor recovery codes are kept, in case that device is lost or locked
• The exchange’s support contact (most major exchanges have a process for estates)

For a software wallet:

• Which device and app it is on
• Seed phrase backup location

Write it clearly enough that someone else could execute it under stress.

Because at some point, someone might have to.

Step 3: Store the Information Correctly (10 Minutes)

This is the step that determines whether your plan actually works.

Your inventory and recovery steps are now among the most sensitive documents you own.

They should never live in:

• Notes apps
• Email drafts
• Desktop files
• Unencrypted cloud documents
• Random physical notebooks without a backup plan

Instead, the information must be:

• Encrypted and protected by multi-factor sign-in
• Controlled by you during your lifetime
• Accessible only to the trusted people you choose
• Protected from single points of failure

This is where a secure digital vault becomes necessary.

Prisidio holds the map. The keys stay with you.

Keep seed phrases, private keys and PINs offline, in more than one secure physical location. Don’t store them in any online service, including Prisidio.

It provides:

• SOC 2 Type II audited security
• Granular access controls
• A Key Holder you designate in advance, who can request access if you are incapacitated or pass away
• Identity verification through CLEAR for every Co-Owner and Key Holder before the role is activated
• Alerts when someone signs in, and a full history of who accessed what
• Multi-factor sign-in for every user, not just the owner

You store your inventory and recovery steps in one place.

You decide who can access it, and when.

The people you invite see only what you share with them, and you can change or revoke access at any time.

Upload your information. Delete the copy on your device. Designate a Key Holder. Done.

What Changes After You Do This

Three things change immediately.

You stop carrying your recovery plan in your head. The information is documented, structured and secure.

Your family gains a clear path to your assets if something happens to you. Not guesswork. Not searching. A defined system.

You move from informal crypto ownership to structured crypto stewardship.

The Real Value of 30 Minutes

Most people assume security systems are complex.

This one is not.

The hardest part is starting.

The actual work takes less time than a coffee meeting.

But the impact lasts far longer.

It helps make sure your assets are not only secure today but recoverable tomorrow.