Best hardware wallets for Bitcoin inheritance setups
A timelock inheritance plan only works if every key in it sits on a device that can sign a miniscript wallet, and several popular ones still cannot.
For a timelock inheritance wallet you run yourself, my top picks are Jade Plus, Krux, and Jade. Jade, Jade Plus, and BitBox02 Bitcoin-only are the Bitcoin-only devices named by both Liana and Nunchuk's on-chain inheritance plans; Krux and Specter DIY work in Liana. SeedSigner and Passport Prime cannot sign a timelock wallet yet, so they fit seed-based plans only. Bitkey has its own six-month inheritance claim, which is simple but keeps your heir inside Bitkey.
Disclosure: I work at Blockstream, the company that makes the Jade wallets mentioned here. I joined after many years as a satisfied user. There are no affiliate links on this site.
Pick your inheritance setup first
The device follows the plan, so choose the plan first. There are three common paths, and each one asks something different of the hardware.
- A timelock wallet you run yourself. Liana gives you a key that can always spend and a recovery key that can spend only after the wallet has been inactive for a set time. The Bitcoin network enforces that delay, so no company has to stay in business for your heir to claim. Nunchuk's Honey Badger plan does something similar: its on-chain timelocks are enforced by the Bitcoin network, and after the timelock Nunchuk's own key drops out of the quorum. Every device in this setup must sign miniscript wallets, and this page ranks only those.
- Company-assisted multisig. A service holds one key in a 2-of-3 and helps your family recover. Most Bitcoin-only hardware wallets work here, including SeedSigner and Passport Prime. My inheritance services compared page ranks the services.
- Built-in inheritance. Bitkey runs the whole process inside its own app and servers. It is covered in its own section below.
Whatever you pick, talk to an estate attorney about the will and the letter that points your family to the plan. A device solves the key problem, and the legal side still needs a lawyer.
Compatibility table
Ranked by my current ratings (see each review for the score). The Liana column comes from Liana's signing-device page, checked against Liana v16.0, released November 3, 2026. The Nunchuk column comes from the hardware list on Nunchuk's pricing page, which applies to its paid Honey Badger plans. Prices are list prices as of November 2026.
| Rank | Device | Liana timelock wallet | Nunchuk on-chain inheritance | Connects to Liana by | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jade Plus | P2WSH from firmware 1.0.30; no Taproot | Inheritance key and regular key (listed as Jade) | USB only | $149 plastic, $169 metal | Most people |
| 2 | Krux | P2WSH and Taproot from v25.03.0 | Not listed | SD card (Liana cannot detect it) | Build it yourself | DIY builders who want Taproot |
| 3 | Jade | P2WSH from firmware 1.0.30; no Taproot | Inheritance key and regular key | USB only | $67 on sale, $79 list | A second or third key on a budget |
| 4 | Specter DIY | P2WSH from 1.5.0, Taproot from 1.9.0 | Not listed | USB | Build it yourself | DIY builders who want a big touchscreen |
| 5 | BitBox02 Bitcoin-only | P2WSH from 9.15.0, Taproot from 9.21.0 | Inheritance key and regular key | USB | See the shop | A key from a second company |
Liana says Jade and Jade Plus refuse USB when set up in QR mode, so Liana cannot reach a Jade you set up that way. Set the Jade up for USB if Liana is your coordinator. Nunchuk's pricing page also says every hardware key must be miniscript-compatible and the inheritance key must support BIP39 seed phrases.
1. Jade Plus: the easiest key for either app
Jade Plus is the only device at the top of my ratings that both coordinators name. Liana supports it for miniscript in P2WSH wallets from firmware 1.0.30, and Blockstream's own table lists Liana as a USB companion app with Jade Plus support. Nunchuk lists Jade as both an inheritance key and a regular key for on-chain inheritance, and Blockstream publishes setup steps for Nunchuk's Honey Badger wallet.
What it cannot do: sign Taproot miniscript wallets, which Liana says the firmware does not support yet. One more thing matters here because Liana registers your wallet over USB: Jade firmware 1.0.24 to 1.0.36 had a buffer overflow in the descriptor registration command, fixed in 1.0.37. Blockstream says QR mode was never exposed and it knows of no exploitation. Current firmware is 1.0.41, and the release notes call it an important security update, so install it before you build the plan.
Best slot: the owner's everyday key, or the heir's key if your heir is not technical.
2. Krux: the DIY pick with Taproot
Krux added miniscript in v25.03.0 for both P2WSH and Taproot wallets, with on-device checks of the wallet policy and cosigners. Liana lists it for both script types. Current firmware is v26.09.0.
What it cannot do: Liana says it will not detect Krux, so you export the transaction to an SD card, sign on the device, and import it back. That is one more step for an heir to learn. Nunchuk lists Krux only for its off-chain plans, not for on-chain inheritance.
Best slot: a Liana key held by the most technical person in the plan.
3. Jade: the same support for less
Jade runs the same firmware as Jade Plus, so it has the same Liana and Nunchuk support and the same limits: P2WSH only, USB only in Liana. Blockstream has it on sale for $67 against a $79 list price. I rank it below Krux because they tie on my ratings, and on a tie I put the non-Blockstream product first.
Best slot: the recovery key you hand to an heir, or a spare in a safe deposit box.
4. Specter DIY: Taproot and Nunchuk's own miniscript wallets
Liana supports Specter DIY for P2WSH from firmware 1.5.0 and Taproot from 1.9.0. Nunchuk's miniscript announcement lists it for both native SegWit and Taproot miniscript, though it does not appear on the Honey Badger hardware list. Current firmware is v1.10.5.
What it cannot do: you assemble it yourself from a development board and a QR scanner, which is a lot to ask of a family member.
Best slot: a key the builder keeps, paired with a store-bought device for the heir.
5. BitBox02 Bitcoin-only: the second company in both apps
BitBox02 works in Liana for P2WSH from firmware 9.15.0 and Taproot from 9.21.0, and Nunchuk lists it as an inheritance key and a regular key. That makes it the only device outside the Jade family that both coordinators name for timelock inheritance, and the only store-bought Bitcoin-only device on this list that signs Taproot miniscript in Liana. Current firmware is v9.27.1.
What it cannot do: it signs only over USB. Buy the Bitcoin-only edition. See BitBox02 vs Jade Plus for how the two compare.
Best slot: the key from a second company, so one firmware flaw cannot reach every key in the plan.
Also worth knowing: Jade Core
Jade Core runs Jade firmware and connects by USB-C or Bluetooth, with no camera, for $99. Liana's signing-device page names only Jade and Jade Plus, and Blockstream's companion-app table does not list Jade Core separately, so I keep it out of the ranking. If you already own one, test it in Liana with a small amount before you build a plan around it.
Bitkey: built-in inheritance, outside the ranking
Bitkey does not sign Liana or Nunchuk wallets, so it is not in the ranking. It has its own inheritance feature instead. Your beneficiary starts a claim, and Bitkey's technical write-up describes a six-month waiting period during which Bitkey tries to reach you by push notification, SMS, or email. If you deny the claim, nothing transfers. If the period ends, the beneficiary receives encrypted key material and the funds move to the beneficiary's own Bitkey wallet.
The catch: the beneficiary must have their own Bitkey, and Bitkey's server cosigns the final transfer. It is the simplest plan here, and your heir is tied to one company's app to use it. Bitkey costs $250. Compare it with Bitkey vs Jade Plus.
Seed-based inheritance only: SeedSigner and Passport Prime
SeedSigner is my top-rated hardware wallet, and it cannot sign a timelock wallet today. Its README lists native SegWit multisig and says Taproot is not quite yet supported; miniscript is not mentioned. The latest release is 0.8.7. Liana does not list it, and Nunchuk lists it only as a regular key in its off-chain plans.
Passport Prime is in the same spot. KeyOS 1.4.0 added multisig exports for Unchained and Casa, and no KeyOS release through 1.4.1 mentions miniscript or timelocks.
Both still work for inheritance where your heir receives seed phrases: a plain 2-of-3 multisig with a descriptor backup, or a company-assisted plan. Pick one of them for that kind of plan, and pick from the ranking above for a timelock plan.
What your heir needs
- The wallet descriptor. A timelock wallet, like a multisig, cannot be found from seed phrases alone. Nunchuk tells heirs they need two separate secrets: the inheritance key and the miniscript wallet configuration. My multisig guide explains how to back up the descriptor.
- Enough keys for the recovery path. In Liana the recovery path opens only after the wallet has been inactive for the time you set, and your heir signs with the recovery key or keys.
- A compatible device, from any company. The heir does not need your brand. Descriptors and BIP39 seed phrases are open standards, so the heir can restore the inheritance key's seed phrase onto any device in the table above. Bitkey is the exception.
- A letter of instruction with no secrets in it. It says where the pieces are and which app to install, never the seed words. See what happens to your bitcoin when you die.
The timelock refresh
Liana uses relative timelocks, and its docs say time starts ticking when you receive a payment. If you never want the recovery path to open while you are alive, each coin must be spent at least once within the timelock period. Liana's app has a shortcut that refreshes coins by sending them back to yourself.
Put the refresh date in your calendar, with a reminder a month early. A missed refresh does not lose your bitcoin, but it gives the recovery key holder the power to spend early.
Mix vendors here too
An inheritance plan with two or three keys has the same weakness as any multisig: one firmware flaw on every key defeats it. Use devices from at least two companies, for example Jade Plus for the owner and BitBox02 for the heir. My multisig hardware wallet rankings compare the devices that mix well.
Liana and Nunchuk both list Coldcard as a supported key. I delisted it; if any key in your plan was generated on a Coldcard, read the Coldcard advisory first, because a key that needs replacing changes your heir's instructions too.
Not Bitcoin-only (contrast)
Competitor guides often recommend this device for timelock inheritance. It works, and it runs firmware for many other coins, so I do not recommend it.
| Device | Timelock inheritance support | Why it is not on my list |
|---|---|---|
| Ledger (Nano, Flex, Stax) | Liana P2WSH from Bitcoin app 2.1.0, Taproot from 2.2.1; Nunchuk on-chain inheritance key | Ledger says its app supports 1000s of cryptocurrencies |
Test it once a year
- 1Update every device to its latest firmware.
- 2Check that the descriptor backup still opens the wallet in your coordinator app.
- 3Have your heir unlock their device and confirm a receive address on its screen, without spending anything.
- 4Refresh any coins whose timelock is getting close.
- 5Update the letter of instruction if a device, location, or person changed.
Pick your device
For most families running Liana or Nunchuk, start with Jade Plus for the owner and add a BitBox02 Bitcoin-only so the plan spans two companies. If you build your own hardware and want Taproot, use Krux or Specter DIY for your key and give the heir a store-bought device. For a budget second key, Jade does everything Jade Plus does in these apps.
If you want one app that handles everything and your heir is happy to use Bitkey, Bitkey is the simplest route. If you would rather have a company hold a key and walk your family through recovery, start with inheritance services compared.
Frequently asked questions
Which hardware wallets work with Liana?
Liana's signing-device page lists Jade and Jade Plus (P2WSH from firmware 1.0.30), BitBox02 (P2WSH from 9.15.0, Taproot from 9.21.0), Krux (P2WSH and Taproot, by SD card), and Specter DIY (P2WSH from 1.5.0, Taproot from 1.9.0). It also lists Ledger and Coldcard, which I do not recommend.
Which hardware wallets work with Nunchuk inheritance?
For Nunchuk's on-chain timelock inheritance in its paid Honey Badger plans, the pricing page lists Jade and BitBox02 among Bitcoin-only devices, as both inheritance keys and regular keys. SeedSigner, Krux, and Passport Prime appear only in its off-chain plans.
Can my heirs claim my bitcoin with a different brand of hardware wallet?
Yes, for Liana and Nunchuk plans. The wallet is defined by an open-standard descriptor, and the heir's key is a BIP39 seed phrase, so the heir can restore it on any device that signs these wallets. Bitkey is the exception: its beneficiary needs a Bitkey.
What is a timelock inheritance wallet?
A wallet with two ways to spend: your key, which works any time, and a recovery key, which works only after the coins have sat unmoved for a period you choose. The Bitcoin network enforces the delay, so your heir can claim without any company.
Does SeedSigner support miniscript or Liana?
Not as of November 2026. Its README does not mention miniscript and says Taproot is not yet supported, and Liana does not list it. SeedSigner works in plain multisig and company-assisted inheritance plans.
How does Bitkey inheritance work?
Your beneficiary starts a claim, and a six-month waiting period begins during which Bitkey tries to reach you. If you deny it, nothing happens. If the period ends, the funds move to the beneficiary's own Bitkey wallet.
Do I need to refresh a timelock?
In Liana, yes. Its timelocks are relative, so the clock starts when each coin arrives. Spend each coin back to yourself before the timelock runs out, or the recovery key can spend it early.