Relevance of the researchis determined by the growing role of digital assets in the modern economy and social relations, as well as by the lack of unified legal and technological mechanisms for their inheritance. It has been revealed that traditional civil law instruments do not adequately regulate the transfer of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, user accounts, and other digital resources, which leads to legal conflicts, loss of assets, and difficulties in exercising inheritance rights.
The purpose of the articleis to elaborate scientifically grounded approaches to modeling the processes of digital asset inheritance based on blockchain technologies, which ensure the synergy of legal norms, technical capabilities, and organizational mechanisms of their practical implementation.
Research methodologyis based on the application of systemic and interdisciplinary approaches that combine legal analysis, comparative legal studies, and methods of structural modeling and functional analysis of digital technologies. Empirical examples of blockchain integration in public registries and private digital services have been employed.
Research resultsinclude the identification of digital assets as a distinct category of inheritance objects, the determination of their legal and socio-economic characteristics, and the substantiation of the potential of blockchain technologies and smart contracts for theautomation and transparency of inheritance procedures. The current state of legal regulation in the EU, the USA, Ukraine, and at the international level has been analyzed, and the main gaps and inconsistencies have been identified. Practical barriers to blockchain integration have been studied, including technical limitations, organizational difficulties, and ethical risks.
Conclusionsindicate that current practice is in transition from fragmented regulation to the search for comprehensive solutions. The necessity of legislative harmonization, the development of procedures for access to cryptographic keys, and the creation of conditions for international unification of norms have been established.
Prospects for further researchare associated with the development of mechanisms for cross-border inheritance of digital assets, the adaptation of legal systems to the dynamic changes of the digital economy, and the search for an optimal balance between automation of inheritance procedures and the protection of fundamental rights of participants.
Keywords: digital law, virtual assets, smart contracts, inheritance procedures, legal framework, international harmonization.