Legal Regulations on the Inheritance of Digital Assets in Some Countries and Implications for Improving Vietnamese Law

Abstract

    The strong development of digital technology has given rise to a new type of asset – virtual assets – which carry both economic and cultural values, while also posing significant legal challenges. Although some countries around the world have taken certain legal steps to address this issue, Vietnam’s 2015 Civil Code currently lacks specific regulations on virtual assets. This absence has led to ongoing controversy regarding the legality, ownership, and inheritance of such assets.In this article, the author employed secondary document analysis and desk review methods to provide an overview of virtual assets, examine legal regulations on the inheritance of virtual assets in Viet Nam and other countries, and proposed recommendations to improve Vietnamese Law on the matter. The author reported that while some countries have made progress in establishing legal frameworks for virtual asset inheritance, Vietnam’s legal system still revealed many gaps in this area. The inclusion of regulations on virtual asset inheritance would help ensure the protection of individual property rights and could bring significant economic benefits to society.