Introduction
Welcome to the Developer Portal guide on Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™. This article is aimed at software engineers, integrators, and product builders who want to use Ledger Live, integrate with hardware wallet flows, or provide Ledger-native experiences in their apps. We'll cover architecture, onboarding, common integration patterns, sample code, security best practices, UX tips, and troubleshooting.
Who this guide is for
If you're building:
- Wallet integrations (desktop, web, mobile)
- Crypto custody or asset management tooling
- DeFi dapps wishing to support hardware-backed signing flows
- Developer tools that interact with user hardware wallets
What you’ll learn
- How Ledger Live and hardware devices interact
- How to start a secure onboarding flow for users
- Recommended developer libraries and example code
- How to sign transactions / messages safely
- Testing, troubleshooting and QA approaches
Core Concepts & Architecture
Ledger Live is a desktop/mobile application that interacts with a Ledger hardware device to keep private keys off the network. For developers, the core architectural primitives are:
Hardware Key Isolation
Private keys never leave the Ledger device. Signing happens inside the secure chip; the host application sends unsigned data and receives signatures.
Transport Layer
Connection to the device uses USB, Bluetooth, or a bridge on desktop. Your integration must handle device enumeration, permission prompts, and reconnect logic.
APIs and SDKs
Ledger ecosystems typically provide libraries to:
- Discover accounts / derivation paths
- Serialize and prepare transactions
- Send data to the device and parse signatures
- Handle authentication flows and persistent pairing
Onboarding Flow (Developer's perspective)
A secure onboarding flow must prioritize clarity and minimal friction. Below is a recommended step-by-step user flow you can implement in your app.
Step 1 — Offer clear choices
Offer actions such as “Create a new wallet”, “Restore from recovery phrase”, or “Connect hardware device”.
Step 2 — Explain key responsibilities
Remind users that recovery phrases are secret. Present concise, plain-language warnings and a “I understand” checkbox before showing the seed.
Step 3 — Connect to the Ledger device
Use platform-appropriate transports. Show an animated illustration and step-by-step instructions (plug in, unlock device, open the Ledger Live app or relevant app on the device).
Step 4 — Derive accounts
After connecting, enumerate derivation paths and present discoverable accounts with balances for the user to select.
Sample Code & Integration Patterns
Below are common patterns and a small example for signing a transaction (JavaScript/TypeScript pseudocode). Use platform specific libraries for production.
1. Device enumeration & connection
// PSEUDOCODE: enumerate and connect to a Ledger device
async function connectLedger() {
const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create(); // or WebHID/WebBluetooth
const app = new AppBtc(transport); // example: Bitcoin app
return { transport, app };
}2. Derive an account & show addresses
// request the public key for a derivation path
const path = "44'/0'/0'/0/0";
const { address, publicKey } = await app.getWalletPublicKey(path);
console.log("address:", address);3. Prepare transaction & request signature
// prepare unsigned transaction payload (depends on chain)
const unsignedTx = buildUnsignedTx({ to, amount, fee });
// send to device for signing
const signature = await app.signTransaction(path, unsignedTx.hex());
const signedTx = applySignature(unsignedTx, signature);
// broadcast signedTx to network via your node or provider.Developer tips
- Always show transaction details on the host before sending to device.
- Keep the user-informed of what the device will prompt the user to approve.
- Use deterministic derivation path labeling to help users identify accounts.
- Test across different firmware and app versions — devices may behave slightly differently.
Security Best Practices
Security is central. Below are best practices to follow when integrating with hardware wallets.
Never transmit private keys
The host should only handle public keys, unsigned payloads, and signatures. Never store or log recovery phrases.
Validate inputs and serialization
Ensure you serialize transactions exactly as the device expects. Mismatches can lead to invalid signatures or wrong outputs.
Use strict UI confirmations
When the device will require approval, replicate a human-readable summary (amount, recipient, fees) and encourage users to verify device prompts.
UX & Accessibility
Good UX reduces errors. Consider these principles:
Clarity & Minimalism
Keep phrasing short. Use progressive disclosure for advanced options.
Accessible flows
Ensure keyboard navigation, screen-reader labels, and color contrast meet WCAG. Show meaningful alt text for images or animated guides.
Testing & QA
Tests should include device connectivity scenarios, firmware versions, and offline conditions. Use automated tests for transaction serialization and manual tests for UI flows and device prompts.
Integration testing checklist
- Device discovery (USB/HID/Bluetooth)
- Connect/disconnect and recovery from interrupted flows
- Handling user rejections on device
- Multiple currency signing (if applicable)
- Edge cases: large fee, invalid address, malformed payload
Troubleshooting
Hardware integrations have typical failure modes. Below are common problems and remedies.
Device not detected
Check OS permissions, use appropriate transport (WebUSB may require Chrome), prompt user to unlock their device and open the correct app.
Signing fails
Re-check transaction serialization, firmware compatibility, and ensure the device app supports the transaction type.
User rejected transaction
Clearly surface the rejection in UI and offer a “Try again” path that preserves the unsigned data for review.
Advanced: Multi-Account & Enterprise Patterns
For teams and enterprise clients, consider:
- Multi-sig flows where multiple Ledger devices sign a transaction.
- HSM-like setups combining Ledger devices with server-side threshold signing (observe security constraints!).
- Audit trails and secure logging — never log sensitive data but keep metadata to help debug (timestamps, device model, fw version).
Performance considerations
Device signing can be slower than software signing. Batch immutable steps on the host, reduce repeated device app launches, and persist non-sensitive cache (e.g., address discovery results).
Common APIs & Libraries
While implementations vary by platform and chain, common libraries useful to developers include transport libraries (WebUSB/WebHID/BLE), chain-specific Ledger apps, and serialization libraries (protobuf, RLP, BIP32).
Example: packaging for web
// Example package.json scripts (concept)
{
"scripts": {
"start": "vite",
"build": "vite build",
"test": "jest"
},
"dependencies": {
"@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb": "^X.Y.Z",
"@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth": "^X.Y.Z",
"ethers": "^5.7.0"
}
}Regulatory & Compliance Notes
When dealing with custody or financial services, consult legal and compliance teams. Never present Ledger integrations as a substitute for regulatory compliance. Keep an audit-friendly record of important non-sensitive events.
Appendix: Sample UX flow (HTML + JS sketch)
Below is a tiny sketch of an HTML button that initiates a connection. This is illustrative — use official libs for production.
<button id="connect">Connect Ledger</button>
<script type="module">
import TransportWebUSB from "@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb";
import AppEth from "@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth";
document.getElementById("connect").addEventListener("click", async () => {
try {
const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create();
const eth = new AppEth(transport);
const result = await eth.getAddress("44'/60'/0'/0/0");
alert("Address: " + result.address);
} catch (err) {
console.error("Connection error", err);
alert("Could not connect to device: " + err.message);
}
});
</script>Final Thoughts
Building with Ledger Live and hardware wallets requires careful attention to security, UX, and cross-platform transport handling. Prioritize clarity for users and always use official libraries and app versions. Treat the hardware device as the single source of truth for private key operations.