Ledger Live — Secure Crypto Wallet & Portfolio Manager
A concise, ready-to-present overview: what Ledger Live is, how it protects assets, how to get started, and best practices for secure self-custody.
Ledger Live is the companion app for Ledger hardware wallets that lets users manage, monitor and interact with crypto assets across many networks from a single interface while keeping private keys offline on the hardware device. It supports portfolio tracking, send/receive, buy/swap integrations, staking and decentralized app access via clear signing — all while isolating private keys in a secure element on the device.
Designed for self-custody: Ledger Live presents account balances and transaction flows in-app, but the secret keys never leave the hardware wallet during signing operations.
- Unified portfolio dashboard: real-time balances and historical charts for multi-account holdings.
- Device-backed signing: transactions are authorized on the Ledger device (Secure Element + PIN).
- Buy / Swap / Stake: third-party integrations inside Ledger Live for common on-ramps and DeFi actions.
- App management: install and update coin apps on your Ledger device via the desktop/mobile app.
- Recovery & optional services: Ledger Recover (opt-in backup service) and passphrase support for advanced users.
Ledger’s architecture separates exposed UI (Ledger Live) from key storage: private keys are generated and stored inside the device’s Secure Element and never exported. Device access requires a PIN and physical confirmation for each transaction. Advanced users can add a passphrase for deniability or multiple hidden wallets.
Never share your recovery phrase. Ledger and Ledger Live will never ask for it. Treat it like cash: offline and private.
- Download Ledger Live only from the official site and install on your desktop or mobile.
- Initialize or restore your Ledger device and write down the recovery phrase on the physical card provided (offline).
- Connect the device to Ledger Live, create accounts for each chain, and let the app sync balances.
- For transactions, always verify the address & amount on the device screen before confirming.
- Only download Ledger Live from ledger.com. Counterfeit apps exist that mimic Ledger Live to phish seed phrases.
- Never enter your 24-word recovery phrase into any app or website — keep it offline.
- Use a unique PIN and consider a passphrase only if you understand the implications (lost passphrase = lost funds).
- Keep firmware and app versions up to date; check release notes before major upgrades.
Ledger Live, paired with a Ledger hardware wallet, gives self-custody users a secure, user-friendly hub to view and manage crypto across networks while retaining the cryptographic protections of an offline Secure Element. It blends portfolio visibility, third-party services and device-backed transaction signing — suitable for users who want control without sacrificing usability.