Can you split a private key in half? Understanding crypto ownership in divorce and beyond
A private key cannot be split; it must remain whole to access cryptocurrency. Splitting it risks permanently locking users out of their funds. Courts in various countries recognize cryptocurrency as marital property, treating it like other divisible assets in divorce. Secure methods to share or divide access include Shamir’s Secret Sharing, which breaks a key into parts needing only some to reconstruct it, and multisignature wallets that require multiple keys for transactions. Custodial services may also be employed to hold keys and manage transactions under legal agreements. Digital wallets can be traced, making hidden crypto assets detectable through blockchain forensics. As crypto's mainstream adoption increases, these concepts are crucial for navigating not just divorce but estate planning, business partnerships, and inheritance situations.
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