Overview
Welcome to the Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ Developer Portal guide. This article is written for developers who want to integrate with Ledger Live, explore the Ledger Developer Portal, or build UX that interacts with hardware wallets. The guide explains the overall architecture, installation steps, API patterns, UI suggestions, security considerations, and practical examples to help you go from zero → deployed.
Who is this for?
If you are a web developer, mobile engineer, dApp creator, or developer advocate building secure crypto experiences, this guide helps you understand how to use Ledger Live alongside device integration tools and the developer portal resources.
Quick summary
- What Ledger Live provides: wallet UI, transaction signing, asset management.
- Developer Portal: docs, SDKs, API references, sample apps.
- Security: hardware-backed signing, protection of secrets, recommended threat model.
Install & Setup
Prerequisites
Before you start: Node.js (LTS recommended), a modern browser for web integrations, and a Ledger hardware device for end-to-end testing.
Step-by-step quick install
- Download Ledger Live from the official site and ensure your device firmware is up-to-date.
- Install developer SDKs (example below).
- Register for API keys on the Developer Portal if you plan to use admin-only APIs.
Example: Install a JavaScript SDK
// From your project root
npm init -y
npm install @ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb @ledgerhq/hw-app-eth
Use @ledgerhq packages for communicating with Ledger devices via WebUSB or WebHID in the browser; for native apps use the corresponding transport (e.g., LedgerHQ transport over USB or BLE).
Developer Portal: What's inside
The Developer Portal centralizes documentation, SDK downloads, API references, sample apps, and code snippets. Think of it as the single source of truth for integrating with Ledger Live and Ledger devices.
Key features
- API Reference: REST endpoints and webhooks for account metadata and non-sensitive interactions.
- SDKs: Official packages for JavaScript, Swift, Kotlin, and backend utilities.
- Samples & Tutorials: Opinions and full-stack examples demonstrating best practices for signing flows and UX.
Portal tips for developers
Use the sample applications to prototype quickly. Check the changelog and migration guides on the portal before upgrading SDKs—breaking changes are rare but possible.
APIs & Integration Patterns
Common integration flows
Ledger apps typically follow these patterns:
1. Read-only account info
Use public RPCs or the portal's query APIs for balances, tokens, and transaction history. These are non-sensitive calls—cache aggressively and respect rate limits.
2. Device signing flow
The critical flow: your application constructs a transaction, hands it to the Ledger device for user verification, and receives a signed payload. At no point should private keys leave the device.
// Pseudocode for browser flow
const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create();
const appEth = new AppEth(transport);
const tx = buildTransaction(...);
const signature = await appEth.signTransaction(path, tx);
Best practice
Always show a clear transaction summary (amount, recipient, fee) on both your UI and the hardware device. The Ledger device is the final authority — the user must verify on-device.
Security Best Practices
Security is the core promise of Ledger hardware. As a developer, your job is to build systems that complement device-level security — not undermine it.
Non-negotiables
- Never transmit or store private keys off-device.
- Use HTTPS/TLS everywhere.
- Short-lived session tokens, scoped permissions, minimum privilege.
Threat model highlights
Consider these threat vectors: compromised backend, man-in-the-middle, malicious browser extension, physical device coercion. For each vector, define mitigations — e.g., for a compromised backend, implement multi-layer checks and on-device confirmations.
Secure UX
Make signing steps explicit and human-readable. Where possible, require PIN and on-device confirmation for sensitive operations.
UI & UX Patterns for Wallet Integration
Designing the signing flow
A clean flow reduces user error. Break the flow into clear steps: prepare → review → sign → broadcast.
Step examples
Prepare
Show account, balances, and fee recommendations.
Review
Show line-by-line transaction details and provide friendly copy about on-device verification instructions.
Sign
Use friendly progress states and ensure your app listens to device events for success/failure.
Testing & Troubleshooting
Unit & integration tests
Mock devices and transport layers for CI. Unit test your transaction builder logic thoroughly — signing errors often come from malformed transactions, wrong chain IDs, or improper encoding.
Common troubleshooting checklist
- Is the device firmware up to date?
- Are app permissions (USB/HID) granted in the browser?
- Is the transaction encoded with the correct chain ID and nonce?
- Are the SDK versions compatible with the device app?
Error handling suggestion
Surface human-readable error messages and suggest corrective steps. For unknown errors, provide a "Collect logs" button that securely uploads anonymized diagnostics (with user consent).
FAQ
Do private keys ever leave the device?
No — the Ledger device stores keys in a secure element; signing happens on-device.
Can I automate signing?
Automated signing that bypasses user confirmation weakens security and is generally discouraged. For machine operations, use managed custody or server-side key management with appropriate controls.
Which transports are supported?
Browser: WebUSB, WebHID. Native: USB, BLE (as supported). Choose the transport that best matches your app environment.
Resources & Example Links
Below are 10 example "office" links you can replace with your real documentation, internal office resources, or team portals. They are provided as placeholders to demonstrate how to list multiple resources.
Sample code & commands
// Sample: connect to Ledger via WebUSB and get Ethereum address
import TransportWebUSB from "@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb";
import AppEth from "@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth";
async function getAddress(){
const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create();
const eth = new AppEth(transport);
const path = "44'/60'/0'/0/0";
const result = await eth.getAddress(path, false, true);
console.log("Address:", result.address);
}
Conclusion & Next Steps
Integrating Ledger Live and Ledger devices into your app prioritizes security while enabling users to interact with crypto safely. Start small: wire up a read-only flow, then add signing, and only after robust testing move to production. The Developer Portal should be your go-to for SDKs, docs, and sample apps.
Checklist before launch
- End-to-end tests with physical devices
- Security review and threat model
- Clear UX for on-device verification
- Monitoring & diagnostics for production
Happy building — and remember: the user's device is the final arbiter. Make every signing step clear, auditable, and minimal risk.