03. Market Overview
Relevance of Digital Estate Planning
With increasing digitalization, a significant share of personal wealth now exists online: from bank deposits and insurance policies to cryptocurrencies, social media, and cloud data. Yet legal and organizational frameworks lag behind—resulting in blocked assets, disputes among heirs, and lost digital wealth.
Market Volume & Growth Potential
Bank Accounts & Deposits: In the EU, about 420 million people hold a bank account; deposits totaled USD 17.3 trillion in 2023.
Crypto Assets:
As of 2024, roughly 562 million people worldwide (~6.8% of the global population) own cryptocurrencies. In the Eurozone, adoption doubled in two years—from 4% to 9%. By 2030, forecasts expect over 1 billion crypto users.
Digital Subscriptions:
European consumers average 3.3 digital subscriptions, while US customers hold around 4.5 per person. The global subscription economy is projected to reach ~USD 1.5 trillion by 2025. Cloud Data: By 2025, an estimated 175 to 180 zettabytes of data will be generated and stored globally—much of it personal photos, documents, and videos, which often cannot be inherited. These numbers highlight a universal reality: every person now leaves behind a significant digital footprint with both financial and emotional value (photos, memories, contacts).
Target Market Size:
Germany: 83M inhabitants, ~40M adults with digital assets
EU: 450M inhabitants, ~200M potential users
Global: 8B+ people, 1B+ crypto users by 2030
Competitive Landscape
The digital estate planning market is still young but expanding rapidly. Existing solutions focus on individual aspects of digital estate management, without offering integrated solutions for Web2 and Web3 assets.
Market Gap:
No integrated solution for Web2 + Web3 Assets
Awareo as the first holistic solution that unifies traditional assets (bank accounts, insurance) with Web3 wealth (crypto, NFTs) and personal digital heritage (cloud, social media)—going beyond today's isolated solutions. The Invisible Wealth
A significant share of digital estates remains “invisible” or permanently lost: Dormant Accounts: In Germany, an estimated €2 billion lies in inactive accounts. UK Dormant Assets Scheme: Since 2011, more than £745 million has been redistributed; currently expanded by another ~£880 million. Lost Cryptocurrencies:
Around 3.8 million BTC (≈18% of all Bitcoin) are permanently lost—partly due to deaths without access data transfer, valued at approximately USD 100 billion (ReWallet 2024). Cloud Data: An estimated 50 million smartphones worldwide become inaccessible annually when owners pass away without digital estate planning, with approximately 3.6 million devices affected in the US alone. Conclusion The market for digital estate planning is not only large but expanding with every new generation of internet, cloud, and crypto users. While current providers address individual segments, the clear market gap lies in an integrated, future-proof solution—and this is precisely where Awareo positions itself.
European Banking Federation (2023): Facts & Figures. 420M bank accounts in the EU, €17.3T in deposits. URL: https://www.ebf.eu/factsandfigures/
Triple-A (2024): Global Cryptocurrency Ownership Data 2024. 562M global crypto users; projected >1B by 2030. URL: https://www.triple-a.io/cryptocurrency-ownership-data
Broadband TV News (2024): European subscribers average 3.3 digital subscriptions. Global subscription economy projected at ~$1.5T by 2025. URL: https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2024/06/12/european-subscribers-are-willing-to-keep-paying-but-they-want-bundles/
IDC (2024): Data Age 2025 Report. Forecast: 175-180 zettabytes of data generated and stored globally by 2025. URL: https://www.idc.com/promo/data-age-2025
Statista (2024): Global Data Volume Forecast. Projected data volume of ~181 zettabytes by end of 2025. URL: https://www.statista.com/statistics/871513/worldwide-data-created/
ESMT Berlin (2023): Dormant Assets in Germany. Estimated ~€2B in dormant accounts. URL: https://esmt.berlin/faculty-research/SciFi/financing-impact-podcast-episode-1/dormant-assets
Reuters (2024): Britain to tap dormant cash for social & green projects. Since 2011, >£745M redistributed; expansion by +£880M. URL: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/britain-tap-1-bln-dormant-cash-social-green-projects-2024-08-02/
ReWallet (2024): Bitcoin Statistics. ~3.8M BTC (≈18% of all Bitcoin) permanently lost, valued at ~$100B. URL: https://rewallet.de/en/blog/bitcoin-statistics-2023
Chainalysis (2024): Crypto Lost Coins Report. Analysis of permanently lost Bitcoin and cryptocurrency assets. URL: https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/bitcoin-lost-coins/
SellCell (2023): What Happens to Your Phone When You Die. ~51.5M smartphones worldwide become inaccessible annually due to death. URL: https://www.sellcell.com/blog/what-happens-to-your-phone-when-you-die/
Bitkom (2024): Digitaler Nachlass: Nur 18% regeln digitale Zugänge. Only 18% of Germans have digital estate planning arrangements. URL: https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Presseinformation/Ein-Drittel-kuemmert-um-digitalen-Nachlass
PR Newswire (2023): Trust & Will Secures over $25M in Series C. More than 1M users. URL: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trust--will-secures-over-25m-in-series-c-to-expand-the-nations-leading-estate-planning-platform-302397820.html
Finovate (2021): FutureVault Secures $3 Million in Equity Funding. ~150,000 users. URL: https://finovate.com/futurevault-secures-3-million-in-equity-funding/
PR Newswire (2022): GoodTrust hits 100k customers milestone. 100,000+ users. URL: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/goodtrust-the-leader-in-digital-life-and-legacy-management-hits-100k-customers-milestone-301464945.html
TechCrunch (2014): Everplans raises new cash to expand its end-of-life planning services. Early user figures; later pivot to B2B model. URL: https://techcrunch.com/2014/12/22/everplans-raises-new-cash-to-expand-its-end-of-life-planning-services/
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