What happens to your Gemini accounts when you die
No beneficiary or trust option on any account, so they pass through the estate
Gemini does not currently support beneficiary designations, transfer-on-death registrations, or trust account titling on any account type. All Gemini accounts pass through the estate at death and may require probate.
When an account holder dies, the executor or administrator will need to contact Gemini with a death certificate and legal authority documents to claim account balances. The process and required documents are covered on the death claim page.
No beneficiary form at Gemini
Open the form →Beneficiary designation is not available for investment accounts at Gemini.
- Start the registration at exchange.gemini.com/register and select "Business" as the account type.
- Create the administrative user first. The application does not have to be finished in one sitting: once the administrative user exists, you can stop and return.
- Complete and submit the onboarding questionnaire, identifying the entity as a trust.
- Gemini states: "The required documents will change depending on the entity type. However, a W9/W8, a bank statement, and IDs of all relevant individuals is required for all entity types."
- A member of the Gemini Compliance team reviews the application and contacts you with next steps, within one to two business days.
- Any trust-specific documents beyond the baseline come from Compliance during that review.
- Add the trust's bank account under Payment methods, through Plaid or by entering wire details with the Account Holder field set to the exact name on the Gemini account.
- Deposits are accepted only from a bank account in the entity's name that matches the business name on the Gemini account. A deposit from the settlor's personal account will be rejected.
- Verify the bank account with a successful deposit before withdrawals to it are permitted.
- The registrant is the Administrator by default. Add each co-trustee or successor trustee as an additional user with their own Gemini login on the Manage Users page.
- Choose each user's role: Administrator, Manager, Trader or Auditor (account roles).
Required Documents
- IRS Form W-9, or W-8 for a non-U.S. entity (for every entity type)
- Bank statement for the trust (for every entity type)
- Government-issued ID (for all relevant individuals: the trustees and any authorized users)
- Trust agreement or certification of trust (requested during the Compliance review). Either the trust agreement or a certification of trust is taken
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the trust. An IRS EIN assignment letter (CP 575) or SS-4 confirmation for the trust
- Bank account titled in the trust's name (for funding). The name must match the business name on the Gemini account
- Any additional documents the Gemini Compliance team requests (during onboarding)
What Gemini says about beneficiaries and trusts
Each section is Gemini's own statement, with the document it comes from numbered under Sources.
Which accounts take a beneficiary2
- Crypto account
No beneficiary, payable-on-death or transfer-on-death designation is available on a Gemini crypto or custody account. Gemini states: "At this time, we do not offer the ability to designate beneficiaries."1
The self-custody Gemini Wallet has nothing for Gemini to designate. Gemini holds no keys and cannot recover its assets, which depend entirely on the owner's passkey backup and device access.3
- Investment account
No beneficiary or transfer on death designation is available on Gemini Stocks or Gemini Predictions.1
The Gemini Stocks equities account is carried by Apex Clearing Corporation. It carries no transfer on death registration and supports no stock transfers into or out of the platform, so equities cannot pass in kind.2
Which accounts a trust can hold2
- Crypto account
Once approved, the trust account can hold, trade, stake and custody digital assets in the trust's name.4
Where the trust needs a qualified custodian, its account stays with Gemini Trust Company, LLC rather than moving to Gemini Moonbase.4
Margin trading is not available to a Gemini Trust Company account. It is limited to Gemini Moonbase customers who qualify as Eligible Contract Participants.5
- Rewards
Asset Rewards excludes institutional, custody-only, API-only, omnibus and sub-custodial accounts, so a trust-titled account earns nothing from that program in any state.6
What Gemini says about trust accounts3
- Whether a new account is opened
Trust ownership is available only through the business/institutional onboarding path, not by converting an individual account online.4
- Successor trustees
The registrant is the Administrator by default. Each co-trustee or successor trustee is added as an additional user with their own Gemini login on the Manage Users page.9
- Who signs for the trust
Gemini has four roles: Administrator, Manager, Trader and Auditor. Only the Administrator can manage users, close the account and manage API keys; Administrator and Manager can place orders, move fiat and crypto, and stake or unstake.10
State requirements Gemini statesNew York
- New York
No one in New York can participate in Asset Rewards.6
Accounts handled elsewhere1
- Apex Clearing Corporation
Carries the Gemini Stocks equities account2
Not in Gemini's published guidance4
- What the owner provides to name a beneficiary
- A beneficiary designation form
- An online way to name a beneficiary
- Trust-by-trust document checklist
Sources10
- 1.How can I add a beneficiary to my exchange account?
- 2.Gemini Stocks
- 3.Gemini Wallet
- 4.Gemini for institutions
- 5.Gemini margin trading
- 6.Gemini Asset Rewards
- 7.How can I sign up for an institutional account?
- 8.How do I send Wire or Bank Transfer?
- 9.How can I add additional users to access my exchange account?
- 10.What are the different account roles?
Sources
Data sourced from Gemini primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Download these Gemini instructions
Download instructions for the whole estateA printable PDF with the steps, required documents, and contact details — verified against Gemini primary sources. Bring it to the branch or keep it beside the phone.
Gemini estate support
Customer Support
Phone
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
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