Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ | Developer Portal

1. Overview & Purpose

What is Ledger Live?

Ledger Live is the desktop and mobile application suite that connects Ledger hardware wallets to the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem. It offers a unified interface to manage assets, install and update applications on devices, view portfolio balances, send and receive transactions, and interface with third-party dApps through integrations.

Audience for this guide

This developer-oriented guide explains how to get started integrating with Ledger Live and Ledger devices. It's intended for application developers, integrators, security engineers, and devops professionals who need to offer hardware-backed key management, transaction signing, or Ledger-backed user flows in their software.

Primary goals
  • Explain setup and developer tooling
  • Summarize APIs, SDKs, and integration flows
  • Describe security assumptions and testing approaches

Slide 1 of 10 — high-level framing and scope.

2. Installation & Setup

Download and install

Ledger Live is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Developers should install the desktop version for integration and testing. After downloading the installer, follow the standard OS prompts to install. When setting up a physical device (Ledger Nano S, Nano S Plus, Nano X), follow the device onboarding steps to initialize the device and create or recover a seed phrase.

Developer prerequisites

To work with Ledger Live and device SDKs locally, ensure you have:

  • Node.js (14+) and npm/yarn
  • Git for cloning repositories
  • Optional: Android Studio or Xcode for mobile client work

Secure environment

Use an isolated development machine for hardware wallet testing where possible. Avoid connecting production seed phrases to experimental builds. If you must test with real accounts, ensure backups and follow security policies. 


// Example: clone the Ledger Live repo (example)
git clone https://github.com/LedgerHQ/ledger-live-desktop.git
cd ledger-live-desktop
yarn
yarn start

Slide 2 of 10 — local setup and safety baseline.

3. Key Features

Asset & Portfolio Management

Ledger Live supports dozens of blockchains and thousands of tokens. It offers consolidated portfolio views, historical charts, and market valuations. For developers, this means you can rely on Ledger Live for secure signing while your application handles higher-level UX and business logic.

On-device App Management

Devices run blockchain-specific applications that can be installed or updated using Ledger Live or the Manager API. This modular design keeps device firmware minimal and allows new chains to be supported by shipping apps separately.

Transaction Signing

Ledger devices handle the cryptographic signing of transactions. Ledger Live and third-party integrations send raw payloads to the device, which then displays human-readable transaction details for user approval and returns signed data.

Developer note: Ledger separates UI/UX from signing capabilities—this means integrations should send clear, structured data so devices can present accurate information to the user.

Slide 3 of 10 — product capabilities summarized.

4. Developer APIs & SDKs

Ledger SDKs and libraries

Ledger provides language-specific libraries and tooling (JavaScript libraries like `@ledgerhq/hw-transport` and `@ledgerhq/hw-app-*`) that abstract transport layers (USB, BLE) and implement protocol-level commands for particular blockchains. These libraries are available as open-source packages and are commonly used in server-side test tooling or local integrations.

Transport layer

The transport layer abstracts connectivity (e.g., WebUSB, HID, Bluetooth). Developers will import the right transport package for their environment—`@ledgerhq/hw-transport-node-hid` for Node, `@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb` for browser contexts, and bluetooth transport packages for mobile.

Example: simple signing flow (JS)


// Pseudocode (JS)
const TransportNodeHid = require("@ledgerhq/hw-transport-node-hid").default;
const AppEth = require("@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth").default;

async function signTx(txData){
  const transport = await TransportNodeHid.create();
  const eth = new AppEth(transport);
  const result = await eth.signTransaction("44'/60'/0'/0/0", txData);
  return result;
}
Server vs client considerations

Signing should always happen offline on the device. Servers should never have access to private keys. Use servers only to build unsigned transactions, validate transaction state, and broadcast the final signed transaction.

Slide 4 of 10 — core SDKs & code patterns.

5. Security Model

Hardware-backed keys

Ledger devices store private keys inside a hardware secure element (HSM-like). The primary security guarantees are:

  • Private keys never leave the secure element
  • User must confirm each transaction on the device (physical user presence)
  • Firmware and bootloader protect device integrity

Threat model

Threats to consider include: compromised host machines, man-in-the-middle transport attacks, social engineering, and maliciously crafted transactions. Developers should assume the host environment is untrusted and minimize sensitive UI shown on the host by pushing meaningful confirmations to the device UI.

Dev checklist
  1. Never ask users to enter seed phrases into your app.
  2. Show clear instructions about verifying addresses on-device.
  3. Use secure transports and validate firmware signatures when possible.

Slide 5 of 10 — security rules and developer hygiene.

6. Integration Patterns

Pattern A — Desktop App Integration

Desktop apps integrate directly through native transports (HID, WebUSB). Typical flow:

  1. Detect device and open transport
  2. Request public keys/address information
  3. Build unsigned transaction with backend or local builder
  4. Send unsigned payload to device for signing
  5. Receive signature and broadcast

Pattern B — Web dApp Integration

Web dApps often use browser transports (WebUSB or a bridge). Consider UX: you must instruct users to enable the right permissions and to confirm on-device. Keep the UI explanations short and actionable.

Pattern C — Mobile & WalletConnect

Ledger supports mobile workflows via Bluetooth-capable devices and through protocols like WalletConnect to mediate interactions with decentralized apps. For mobile-first integrations, ensure your flows handle intermittent connectivity and background states gracefully.

Slide 6 of 10 — practical integration templates.

7. Testing & Emulation

Use test networks

Always test on public testnets (Ropsten, Goerli, Testnet equivalents) or local private networks when developing signing flows. Testnets let you exercise signing without risking real funds.

Emulators & CI

Ledger releases emulators and test tooling for continuous integration. These allow headless signing flows in CI and the validation of your transaction construction logic without a physical device. Integrate emulator tests into your pipeline to validate deterministic behaviors.

Fuzzing & malformed payloads

Test how your application handles malformed transactions, unexpectedly large values, or incorrect addresses. Confirm the device rejects or clearly displays unsafe operations.

Slide 7 of 10 — how to test safely and thoroughly.

8. Troubleshooting

Common issues

Typical developer headaches include connection/transport errors, mismatched app versions on the device, and unexpected transaction formatting errors. Resolve by checking firmware/app versions, ensuring transport permissions are granted, and inspecting raw payloads for canonical serialization differences.

Logs & diagnostics

Capture transport-level logs and SDK exceptions. Use debug flags in SDKs and reproduce issues with minimal repro steps so you can isolate whether the fault is in transaction construction, transport, or device UI parsing.

Support & community

For blockers, consult the official developer documentation and community channels; include sanitized logs and exact steps when filing issues. Avoid sharing private keys or seed material when seeking help.

Slide 8 of 10 — practical troubleshooting guidance.

9. Best Practices

UX & Clarity

Good UX reduces risky user behavior. Use clear labeling, step-by-step instructions, and show the minimum necessary data on the host (amount, recipient, fee) while encouraging users to verify on device screens.

Privacy

Avoid logging sensitive data. Minimize telemetry that could link user identities to addresses. Offer opt-in telemetry and transparent privacy terms when collecting anonymized usage data.

Versioning

Track firmware and app versions and gracefully handle unsupported cases by showing informative prompts to upgrade firmware or install the correct on-device app.

Compliance

If your product touches custody, KYC, or regulated financial services, consult legal and compliance teams early. Ledger provides tooling for secure transaction signing but not regulatory compliance.

Slide 9 of 10 — principles for production readiness.

10. Resources & Next Steps

Where to learn more

Recommended next steps:

  • Read official Ledger developer docs for SDKs and transport libraries
  • Clone sample integrations and run them end-to-end
  • Join developer forums and follow security advisories

Quick links

Use these anchor-style placeholders (replace with your organization links as needed):

Open Developer Portal API Reference Download SDK

Closing summary

Ledger Live plus Ledger devices give developers a robust platform for adding hardware-backed security to blockchain apps. Follow the patterns in this guide—secure your environments, test thoroughly, and keep the user in control of signing—so you can deliver strong security and excellent user experiences.

Slide 10 of 10 — final wrap and links.