Release Triggers and Activity Monitoring in Inheribase

Release triggers define the precise moment your vault “matures” — meaning its contents are decrypted and made available to your heirs. Activity monitoring ensures the vault stays locked while you are present and begins the release sequence only when a genuine succession event occurs. This page explains each trigger type, what counts as activity, the full contestation timeline, and how to handle uncommon situations.

Release triggers

Inheribase supports three release trigger modes. Choose the one that best matches your situation.

Dead Man’s Switch (recommended)

The Dead Man’s Switch releases your vault automatically based on your activity. If you miss your scheduled check-ins, the protocol assumes a succession event has occurred and begins the release sequence. Configure two parameters when enabling this trigger:

Check-in frequency: Choose weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Verification window: If a check-in is missed, a contestation period begins before any data is shared, giving you time to cancel a false positive.

Manual release

You trigger the release yourself from your dashboard. Use this mode for planned handovers — for example, transferring assets to a business partner while you are still active.

Guardian Claim (high security)

Your guardians initiate the release by reaching a majority consensus. This provides a human layer of verification for situations where automated triggers are not preferred.

Evidence-based: The initiating guardian provides a narrative or a link to evidence (such as a notice of passing).
Consensus required: Other guardians must concur to reach the threshold before the release sequence begins.
Contestation applies: As with all triggers, you have a 30-day window to cancel any false claims.

Activity monitoring

Any authenticated action automatically resets your liveness timer and Dead Man’s Switch:

Dashboard login and navigation
File uploads and downloads
Settings changes
MCP check_in tool calls from an AI assistant

For scheduled check-ins, Inheribase sends an email notification with a secure one-click confirmation link. Clicking it counts as an authenticated action and resets the timer.

The contestation timeline

When the protocol detects prolonged inactivity, it follows a protective sequence before releasing any data:

Phase	Action
Day 0	Check-in deadline missed. Multiple alerts sent to the vault owner.
Day 0–30	Contestation period active. You can cancel the release with a single authenticated action.
Day 7	Guardians are notified to prepare for potential succession.
Day 30	Contestation window closes. Release sequence begins. Heirs are notified for the first time.

The 30-day default contestation window is configurable to 14, 60, 90, or 180 days. During the entire contestation period, no data is shared with heirs. A single authenticated action — dashboard login, API call, or check-in — cancels the release and returns the vault to an active state.

Edge cases

Incapacitation (not deceased)

If you are incapacitated but not deceased, the Dead Man’s Switch will fire once the contestation window lapses without a cancellation. If you later recover, the vault has already been delivered to your heirs — this cannot be reversed after delivery completes.If incapacitation is a realistic concern, extend your contestation window to 90 or 180 days. This gives you — or someone acting on your behalf — more time to cancel a false trigger.

Long vacations or planned offline periods

If you plan to be offline longer than your check-in frequency — for example, a two-month sailing trip — adjust your Check-in Frequency or Contestation Window before you leave. Failing to do so may cause the Dead Man’s Switch to fire while you are still active.

Pausing the vault

If you no longer need active monitoring, switch your trigger to Manual Release. This stops the Dead Man’s Switch timer and halts the consumption of monitoring credits. Your data remains anchored permanently on Arweave regardless of which trigger mode is active.