Start with the action you need

A contract that can move tokens and a service that delivers instructions perform different jobs. Decide whether you need an asset transfer, an account inventory or a message to an authorised person. Neither mechanism establishes that someone has died or that a recipient has legal authority to administer an estate.

An inactivity deadline is a signal with possible false positives. Travel, illness, a lost device or a failed reminder can interrupt check-ins. Consider the consequences of an unintended trigger before depositing assets or storing sensitive recovery information.

On-chain execution still has dependencies

A smart contract can make an action eligible after a deadline, but time passing alone does not submit a transaction. Inspect who must call it, how that transaction is funded and what happens if the caller or automation provider is unavailable. Contract logic, network availability, fees, oracle inputs and administrative controls can affect the outcome. Blockchain consensus is not a promise that the intended recovery will occur.

Read the exact contract and its independent review, including cancellation rules and any waiting period. Do not assume every design is irreversible in the same way, supports the same assets or lacks an administrator. Public transactions may reveal addresses and timing. Test a design without meaningful funds before considering its use.

An off-chain delivery depends on its operator

ZeroLatch records deliberate check-ins and attempts recipient notification after the deadline and full safety period pass. It delivers information; it does not execute wallet transactions. Recipient verification, an accessible inbox and the service’s continued operation remain necessary.

Simple supports authorised service-managed key recovery. Private requires a separately preserved secret. Browser encryption does not provide total privacy or automatically make stored content available if the provider closes. Keep a usable independent copy, and read the transparency notice for current limits.

Compare a complete recovery sequence

For either design, write down who notices the trigger, who may act, what they need and what happens if a step fails. Compare the burden of routine check-ins, ongoing fees, key storage and cancellation with your actual needs. A more complex design is useful only if the intended people can operate it safely.

Practise with harmless material and preserve independent instructions. The backup checklist covers the information-handoff part of that exercise. Coordinate any asset transfer or estate arrangement with appropriate legal and technical advisers.