Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore)
SUPPLEMENTARY WILL (CODICIL) — DIGITAL ASSETS
Made under the Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352), Singapore
Date: [Codicil Date]
This Supplementary Will supplements the Primary Will of [Testator Name] dated [Primary Will Date]. It is to be read together with the Primary Will and forms part of my testamentary dispositions.
TESTATOR'S PARTICULARS
Full Name: [Testator Name]
NRIC No.: [Testator NRIC]
Date of Birth: [Testator DOB]
Address: [Testator Address]
DIGITAL ASSETS
I, [Testator Name], declare that I own the following digital assets:
Cryptocurrency:
[Crypto Assets]
NFTs and Digital Collectibles:
[NFT Assets]
Online Accounts:
[Online Accounts]
Other Digital Assets:
[Other Digital Assets]
Access Instructions Location:
[Access Instructions Location]
IMPORTANT: The access credentials (private keys, seed phrases, passwords) for the above digital assets are stored in a sealed document at the location stated above. They are NOT contained in this will.
BEQUESTS OF DIGITAL ASSETS
Primary beneficiary for digital assets: [Digital Asset Beneficiary]
Specific bequests: [Specific Bequests]
Instructions for Executor:
[Executor Instructions]
ATTESTATION
Signed by [Testator Name] as his/her Supplementary Will (Codicil) in the presence of us, both present at the same time, who in his/her presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses:
Witness 1: [Witness 1 Name] (NRIC: [Witness 1 NRIC])
Witness 2: [Witness 2 Name] (NRIC: [Witness 2 NRIC])
This Supplementary Will is executed in accordance with the Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352) of Singapore.
Testator
________________
Signature
Witness 1
________________
Signature
Witness 2
________________
Signature
What Is a Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore)?
A Supplementary Will — Digital Assets in Singapore records a testator's instructions for distributing property and appointing executors on death.
Singapore law does not yet have a dedicated statute addressing the succession of digital assets. The Wills Act (Cap. 352) governs testamentary dispositions of 'property' broadly defined, and the general view of Singapore legal practitioners and the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) is that digital assets capable of being owned — such as cryptocurrency, digital media, and data with economic value — fall within the definition of 'property' that can be bequeathed by will. The Supreme Court of Singapore has not yet issued a definitive ruling on the succession treatment of all categories of digital assets, making clear testamentary instructions particularly important.
Cryptocurrency assets — including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and tokens held on exchanges regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Payment Services Act 2019 (PSA) — present unique succession challenges. Access to cryptocurrency wallets requires private keys, seed phrases, or hardware wallet access credentials. Without these credentials, the cryptocurrency is effectively inaccessible after the owner's death, regardless of what the will provides. Licensed cryptocurrency exchanges in Singapore — including those holding a Major Payment Institution licence from MAS — may have their own account succession procedures, but private wallets (cold storage) require direct credential transfer.
The Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) intersects with digital asset succession in relation to accounts that contain personal data of third parties. An executor or beneficiary who accesses the deceased's email or social media accounts may encounter personal data of third parties, and the handling of such data must comply with the PDPA's provisions as administered by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC).
Singapore's position as a leading digital economy — with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) driving digital adoption — means that an increasing proportion of Singaporeans' assets and liabilities are digital, making dedicated testamentary provision for digital assets essential. The Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352) governs the formal execution requirements for this type of document, including the writing, signature, and witnessing formalities under Section 6.
When Do You Need a Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore)?
A Supplementary Will for Digital Assets is needed whenever a Singapore resident or property owner holds digital assets that are not adequately addressed in their principal will and that require specific instructions for access, management, and distribution after death.
Cryptocurrency holders require a supplementary digital assets will. Any person holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, or other digital tokens — whether on a MAS-regulated exchange, a decentralised exchange, or in a private wallet (hardware wallet or software wallet) — must provide specific instructions for locating and accessing the cryptocurrency after death. Without these instructions, the private keys or seed phrases needed to access the cryptocurrency may be permanently lost. The Payment Services Act 2019 (PSA) regulates certain cryptocurrency service providers in Singapore, and licensed exchanges have account recovery and succession procedures, but these require the executor to produce a Grant of Probate from the Family Justice Courts.
Business owners with digital business assets — including domain names registered through SGNIC (the .sg domain administrator), SaaS subscriptions, cloud-hosted software, e-commerce storefronts on platforms like Shopee or Lazada, and digital intellectual property — need a supplementary will addressing the continuation or transfer of these assets. ACRA-registered sole proprietorships and partnerships are particularly affected, as the business's digital infrastructure may be tied to the owner's personal accounts.
Individuals with substantial digital financial accounts — including online banking portals, investment accounts with licensed securities dealers or fund managers regulated by MAS, CPF investment accounts accessed through online platforms, and digital payment wallets (GrabPay, PayNow, DBS PayLah!) — should provide clear instructions for their executor to access and manage these accounts during the estate administration process.
Social media users with accounts that have memorial, economic, or sentimental value — including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok accounts — should address these in a supplementary will, specifying whether accounts should be memorialised, deleted, or transferred. Some platforms have their own legacy contact or inactive account manager features, and the supplementary will should coordinate with these platform-specific tools.
Individuals who store important documents, photographs, or data in cloud services — including Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive — should provide access instructions in the supplementary will. The executor may need access to cloud-stored documents for estate administration purposes, and the terms of service of cloud providers vary on post-death account access.
What to Include in Your Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore)
A Singapore Supplementary Will for Digital Assets executed under the Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352) must satisfy the same formal requirements as any valid Singapore will and must additionally address the unique characteristics of digital assets. The forms-legal.com Supplementary Will for Digital Assets template covers all Wills Act formalities plus specific digital asset provisions recommended by Singapore estate planning practitioners.
Testator identification requires the testator's full name, NRIC or passport number, and address, consistent with the identification used in the principal will. The supplementary will must clearly state that it supplements (and does not revoke) the testator's principal will dated [date], and that it addresses only digital assets as defined in the supplementary will.
Digital assets inventory must list and categorise the testator's digital assets. Categories typically include: cryptocurrency and digital tokens (specifying the currency, approximate holdings, the wallet type or exchange name, and whether the access credentials are stored separately); online financial accounts (bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance portals); business digital assets (domain names, website hosting, e-commerce accounts, SaaS subscriptions); social media and communication accounts; cloud storage accounts; digital media and intellectual property (ebooks, digital photographs, creative works); and loyalty programme accounts with monetary value (KrisFlyer miles, credit card rewards points).
Access credentials instructions — this is the most sensitive and critical section. The testator must provide a secure method for the executor to access private keys, passwords, seed phrases, and two-factor authentication devices. Options include: (1) referencing a separate sealed document stored with the testator's solicitor or in a safe deposit box at DBS, OCBC, or UOB; (2) referencing a password manager (such as 1Password, LastPass, or Bitwarden) and providing the master password through a secure channel; (3) providing instructions for accessing a hardware cryptocurrency wallet (such as Ledger or Trezor) stored at a specified location. Credentials should NOT be written directly in the will, as wills become public documents upon the Grant of Probate.
Beneficiary instructions for each digital asset or category must specify: who receives the asset; whether the asset should be transferred, liquidated, memorialised, or deleted; and any specific instructions for the executor regarding timing or conditions. For cryptocurrency, the testator should specify whether the executor should transfer the tokens to the beneficiary's wallet or liquidate them and distribute the proceeds.
Executor powers clause must grant the executor authority to: access all digital accounts and wallets using the credentials provided; communicate with cryptocurrency exchanges, cloud service providers, and social media platforms; make decisions regarding the management, transfer, or deletion of digital assets not specifically addressed; and incur reasonable expenses for professional assistance (including cryptocurrency technical specialists) in managing digital assets.
Attestation clause must comply with Section 6 of the Wills Act (Cap. 352): the supplementary will must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by some other person in the testator's presence and by the testator's direction), and the testator's signature must be made or acknowledged in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time, each of whom must sign the will in the presence of the testator. Neither witness may be a beneficiary or the spouse of a beneficiary under the supplementary will, as Section 10 of the Wills Act renders any gift to an attesting witness void.
Review and update provisions should encourage the testator to review the supplementary will at least annually, given the rapidly evolving nature of digital assets, new cryptocurrency acquisitions, changes in platform terms of service, and changes in Singapore's regulatory framework for digital assets under the Payment Services Act 2019 and future legislation. The Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352) governs the formal execution and witnessing requirements for this type of document, supplemented by the executor's powers under the Trustees Act (Cap. 337).
Cite this page
Reference this free template in an article, syllabus, or research note:
Forms Legal. (2026). Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore) (Singapore) [Legal document template]. Forms Legal. https://forms-legal.com/singapore/estate-planning/wills/supplementary-will-digital-assets-singapore
"Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore) (Singapore)." Forms Legal, 2026, https://forms-legal.com/singapore/estate-planning/wills/supplementary-will-digital-assets-singapore.
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author = {{Forms Legal}},
title = {Supplementary Will — Digital Assets (Singapore) (Singapore)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/singapore/estate-planning/wills/supplementary-will-digital-assets-singapore}},
note = {Free legal document template. Based on Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352)}
}Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, a supplementary will for digital assets is legally valid in Singapore, provided it complies with the formal requirements of the Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352). The Wills Act governs all testamentary instruments executed in Singapore, and there is no requirement that a will be a single document — a testator may execute multiple testamentary instruments that collectively constitute the testator's testamentary wishes. For the supplementary will to be valid under Section 6 of the Wills Act, it must be: (1) in writing; (2) signed by the testator or by some other person in the testator's presence and by the testator's direction; and (3) the testator's signature must be made or acknowledged in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time, each of whom must attest and sign the will in the presence of the testator. The supplementary will must be drafted carefully to avoid inadvertently revoking the principal will. Under Section 15 of the Wills Act, a will is revoked by another will only if the later will expressly revokes the earlier will or is inconsistent with it. The supplementary will should contain a clear statement that it supplements the principal will dated [date] and does not revoke or modify any provision of the principal will except as expressly stated. The Supreme Court of Singapore has not yet ruled on the specific validity of digital asset bequests, but the general principles of the Wills Act support the disposition of any 'property' owned by the testator, and digital assets with economic value fall within this definition.
Cryptocurrency private keys, seed phrases, and wallet passwords should NOT be written directly in a Singapore will. When a will is submitted to the Family Justice Courts for a Grant of Probate, it becomes a court document accessible to the parties and, in some circumstances, to the public. Including private keys or seed phrases in the will would expose the cryptocurrency to theft during the probate process. Instead, Singapore estate planning practitioners recommend the following secure approaches for cryptocurrency credentials:
First, store the credentials in a separate sealed document deposited with a trusted solicitor or in a safe deposit box at DBS Bank, OCBC Bank, or UOB. The supplementary will should reference the sealed document's location without disclosing the actual credentials. Second, use a password manager (such as 1Password, LastPass, or Bitwarden) and provide the master password through a secure, separate mechanism — such as a sealed letter to the executor, a verbal instruction confirmed by a trusted family member, or a time-locked digital vault service. Third, for hardware wallets (Ledger, Trezor), store the device and the recovery seed phrase in separate secure locations (e.g., the device in a home safe and the seed phrase in a bank safe deposit box), and provide the executor with instructions for locating both items. Fourth, consider using a multi-signature wallet arrangement where access requires two of three keys — held respectively by the testator, the executor, and a trusted professional — reducing the risk of both loss and theft.
Under Singapore law governed by the Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352), a supplementary will and a principal will operate together as the testator's complete testamentary scheme. The Family Justice Courts will read both instruments together when granting Probate. The supplementary will must be carefully drafted to avoid conflicting with or inadvertently revoking the principal will. Section 15 of the Wills Act provides that a will is revoked by a later will or codicil only if: (a) the later instrument contains an express revocation clause; or (b) the later instrument is inconsistent with the earlier instrument. If the supplementary will contains a general revocation clause ('I revoke all former wills'), it will revoke the principal will entirely — defeating the purpose of supplementary testamentary planning. Best practice in Singapore estate planning is for the supplementary will to: (1) state that it is supplementary to the principal will dated [date]; (2) expressly state that it does not revoke the principal will; (3) address only the digital assets defined in the supplementary will; and (4) contain a savings clause providing that in the event of any inconsistency between the supplementary will and the principal will, the supplementary will prevails only in respect of digital assets. The executor named in the supplementary will should ideally be the same person named as executor in the principal will, to avoid conflicts of authority.
A supplementary will in Singapore can cover any digital asset that constitutes 'property' capable of being owned and bequeathed by the testator. While the Wills Act 1838 (Cap. 352) does not specifically define 'digital assets,' the broad definition of 'property' under Singapore law encompasses assets with economic value, regardless of their digital or physical form. Cryptocurrency and digital tokens — including Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins (USDT, USDC), and other tokens whether held on a MAS-regulated exchange or in a private wallet — are the most common digital assets addressed in supplementary wills. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) regulates digital payment token services under the Payment Services Act 2019, and tokens traded on licensed exchanges in Singapore are recognised as having economic value. Online financial accounts — including internet banking accounts, investment accounts with MAS-licensed securities dealers, robo-advisory accounts, and digital payment wallet balances (GrabPay, DBS PayLah!, Google Pay) — can be addressed in the supplementary will, with instructions for the executor to access, manage, and close these accounts. Domain names — including .sg domains registered through SGNIC and international domains — are intellectual property assets that can be transferred upon the owner's death. E-commerce storefronts on Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, and other platforms have economic value and should be addressed.
The executor appointed to manage digital assets under a Singapore supplementary will should possess both legal authority and practical technical competence. Singapore estate planning practitioners recommend considering the following factors when selecting a digital assets executor. Technical competence is essential. The executor must be capable of accessing cryptocurrency wallets, navigating exchange platforms, managing cloud accounts, and handling digital security measures including two-factor authentication and hardware wallet recovery procedures. If the testator holds substantial cryptocurrency assets, appointing an executor with cryptocurrency experience — or authorising the executor to engage a professional digital asset recovery specialist — is prudent. Consistency with the principal will is preferred. Appointing the same executor for both the principal will and the supplementary will avoids conflicts of authority and simplifies the probate process at the Family Justice Courts. If different executors are appointed, the supplementary will should clearly delineate each executor's scope of authority. Professional executors — including trust companies licensed by MAS, solicitors' firms, and professional estate administrators — can serve as executors for digital assets. Trust companies such as Trustees International (Singapore) and Singapore Trustees offer digital estate administration services. Professional executors charge fees typically calculated as a percentage of the estate value, subject to the scale prescribed by the Public Trustee's office.
This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer
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