Ana Mineva Publishes ‘The Invisible Inheritance’ in Lex.bg

The article does not argue that access credentials should simply be placed in a will or shared without appropriate security safeguards. Instead, it highlights the need for structured planning so that designated people know what exists, where to look, and what process to follow.

3. Modern estates increasingly cross national and institutional borders

The article uses the example of a Bulgarian citizen who may live in one country, work for a company in another, invest through a European online broker, and hold crypto-assets independently. The same pattern appears with physical assets — the records behind an inherited home can be just as hard to reconstruct.

This pattern is relevant far beyond Bulgaria. International families, expatriates, remote workers, founders, investors, and globally mobile professionals often accumulate assets across multiple jurisdictions and platforms.

The EU Succession Regulation (650/2012) can help establish which national law applies, and the European Certificate of Succession can demonstrate a person’s status as an heir. Neither automatically provides a complete inventory of a deceased person’s foreign brokerage accounts, fintech balances, crypto wallets, or other undisclosed digital holdings.

4. Existing systems identify only part of the financial picture

Mineva explains that Bulgaria has real mechanisms for tracing traditional financial relationships. Heirs can request a search of the Register of Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes maintained by the Bulgarian National Bank, and establish which banks held accounts or a safe deposit box — even where the deceased never shared that information during their lifetime.

What matters just as much is what the system does not show. The register covers institutions licensed in Bulgaria. It does not see foreign fintech applications, investment accounts with international brokers, digital wallets, or crypto-asset exchanges.

This Bulgaria-specific example illustrates a wider international issue: national registers and established inheritance processes were generally developed for assets held within identifiable domestic institutions. Modern financial lives are increasingly distributed across systems that may not be visible through any single search or authority.

5. Digital asset inventories should complement professional planning

The article positions digital asset inventory and inheritance visibility as a practical layer that complements traditional estate planning.

Wills, trusts, notarial instruments, professional legal advice, financial planning, and regulatory frameworks remain essential. Digital legacy planning does not replace them.

Its role is different: to help create structured asset awareness so that loved ones and professional advisers can understand what exists, where relevant information can be found, and which next steps may be required.

This distinction is particularly important for lawyers, estate planners, financial advisers, insurers, wealth managers, employers, and benefits providers. Their work may be legally and financially sound, but family continuity can still break down when essential assets or benefits remain unknown.