# Ledger Wallet (formerly Ledger Live)

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/ledger-wallet
> research date 2026-10-21 · extracted at 2026-10-22
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Ledger Wallet app — Ledger](https://www.ledger.com/ledger-wallet)
- [LedgerHQ on GitHub (naming rebrand note)](https://github.com/ledgerhq)
- [Wallet crypto - Ledger Wallet — App Store record](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr)

## Overview

**Ledger Wallet**, called **Ledger Live** until 2025, is the companion app for Ledger's crypto hardware devices. It is not a payment wallet in the sense of the bank and mobile-money bios on this site: it holds no bank balance and makes no bank transfers. It is a self-custody crypto wallet. The private keys stay on a separate Ledger device, which Ledger now calls a "signer", and the app is where you see your holdings, buy, swap and stake crypto, and connect to decentralised apps [[2]](https://github.com/ledgerhq) [[3]](https://www.ledger.com/ledger-wallet).

Ledger SAS, a French company based in Paris, makes both the devices and the app [[4]](https://www.ledger.com/press) [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)). On the App Store Ledger claims "8M+" users worldwide, and support for thousands of crypto assets on more than 100 blockchains [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr). The nearest thing to a payment product is the **CL Card**, a crypto debit card provided by Baanx that is topped up from the app [[6]](https://shop.ledger.com/pages/cl-card-crypto-card).

## History

- **2014: founding.** Éric Larchevêque, co-founder of La Maison du Bitcoin (now Coinhouse), created Ledger in 2014 with the founders of two other startups, BTChip and ChronoCoin. Products sold between 2014 and 2016 went by the name "Ledger Nano" [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- **2017–2018: funding and a factory.** Ledger raised €7 million in March 2017 in a round led by Maif Avenir, and $75 million in 2018. It also invested €10 million in a factory at Vierzon, after long having its devices made in China [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- **January 2019: the iPhone app.** Apple's record gives 28 January 2019 as the first release of the app now called Ledger Wallet [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr). Larchevêque left the company in 2019 [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- **July 2020: data breach.** A cyberattack in July 2020 exposed Ledger's e-commerce database. Ledger first counted about 1 million email addresses and 9,532 detailed records stolen; when the database was dumped online in December 2020 it showed about 272,000 detailed records, with postal addresses, names and phone numbers. Ledger said the crypto assets themselves were safe [[8]](https://www.ledger.com/message-ledgers-ceo-data-leak).
- **2021–2023: valuation.** A June 2021 round valued Ledger at $1.5 billion. In March 2023 a €100 million raise kept the valuation at €1.3 billion [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- **2023: Recover and a library exploit.** Ledger launched Recover, a paid option for backing up access to your keys, which many users criticised because they wanted to stay in sole control of their assets [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)). On 14 December 2023, a phishing attack on a former employee let an attacker publish malicious code in the Ledger Connect Kit, a library that connects websites to Ledger devices. It ran for less than two hours, and Ledger said it did not affect its hardware or Ledger Live [[9]](https://www.ledger.com/blog/a-letter-from-ledger-chairman-ceo-pascal-gauthier-regarding-ledger-connect-kit-exploit).
- **2024: Stax and a new head office.** The Ledger Stax, a credit-card-sized device made by Foxconn, went on sale in 2024 for about €400. On 15 October 2024 Ledger opened its new head office in the Marais [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- **October 2025: Ledger Wallet and the Nano Gen5.** Ledger announced the Nano Gen5 in October 2025 [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)). Ledger's 2025 rebrand renamed the app: "Ledger Live" (desktop and mobile) became "Ledger Wallet", and the hardware "wallet" became a "signer" [[2]](https://github.com/ledgerhq). Ledger's own app page now opens: "Ledger Live is now Ledger Wallet™" [[3]](https://www.ledger.com/ledger-wallet).

## Ownership & operator

- **Company.** Ledger SAS, 106 rue du Temple, 75003 Paris, which owns the Ledger Wallet trademark [[4]](https://www.ledger.com/press).
- **Leadership.** Pascal Gauthier signs as Ledger's Chairman and CEO [[9]](https://www.ledger.com/blog/a-letter-from-ledger-chairman-ceo-pascal-gauthier-regarding-ledger-connect-kit-exploit).
- **Shareholders** named by Wikipedia include Dan Tapiero's 10T Fund, Bernard Arnault's Financière Agache, Draper, Korelya Capital and the Samsung group [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- **Regulation.** The app does not hold customers' funds. Ledger calls itself "a technology provider": buying, swapping, staking and loans in the app are provided by third parties, which may not be available everywhere [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026). The CL Card is provided by Baanx, not by Ledger [[6]](https://shop.ledger.com/pages/cl-card-crypto-card).

## Technical integration

**Self-custody.** Private keys are generated and kept inside the signer's certified Secure Element and never leave it. Each transaction is shown on the signer's own screen for the user to check and approve physically, with "Clear Signing" translating contract code into plain language [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026).

**Chains and providers.** As of October 2026 the app offers 50 providers and 100 chains to trade across, and direct access to 1inch, Velora and Morpho [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026). The App Store listing names Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and stablecoins among the supported assets [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr).

**Connecting to apps.** You can reach Ledger Wallet from decentralised apps directly or through WalletConnect, with built-in MEV protection on trades [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr) [[3]](https://www.ledger.com/ledger-wallet).

**Channels.** Mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a desktop app [[2]](https://github.com/ledgerhq). Payments are made to blockchain addresses, never to a phone number or IBAN.

## Users & growth

Ledger publishes few figures, and none for monthly activity:

- **Users:** "Déjà 8M+ d'utilisateurs dans le monde", Ledger's own claim on the French App Store, read 21 October 2026 [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr).
- **App stores, read 21 October 2026:** 1,755 ratings averaging 4.70 on the French App Store [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr), and "1M+" downloads on Google Play [[10]](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ledger.live).
- **Staff:** Ledger had 750 employees in October 2023, when it decided to cut 90 jobs [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).

## Use cases

- **Holding crypto in self-custody,** with a Ledger signer approving every transaction [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026).
- **Buying crypto** by card, bank transfer or Apple Pay through more than 50 providers, including MoonPay, Revolut, PayPal and Coinbase [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr).
- **Staking** through Lido, Kiln, Figment and others, and earning on stablecoins [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr).
- **Borrowing:** since October 2026, Crypto Loan lets you borrow USDC or USDT against wrapped Bitcoin (cbBTC or wBTC) without selling it, through Morpho and Yield.xyz. Rates are variable and the position can be liquidated [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026).
- **Spending crypto:** the CL Card gives 1% cashback in BTC, USDC or USDT, works with Apple Pay and Google Pay and at cash machines, and converts crypto to money at the moment of purchase. It is available in the EEA, the UK, the US, Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil, and you don't need a Ledger signer to use it [[6]](https://shop.ledger.com/pages/cl-card-crypto-card).

## Implementations & partners

- **Card issuer:** Baanx, for the CL Card [[6]](https://shop.ledger.com/pages/cl-card-crypto-card).
- **Crypto services:** MoonPay, Topper, Revolut, PayPal, Coinbase, 1inch, OKX, Exodus and Kraken for buying, swapping and funding; Lido, Kiln, Figment and Bitwise for staking; Morpho and Aave for yield [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr). Yield.xyz integrates the loan service [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026).
- **Connections:** WalletConnect, which helped Ledger shut down the 2023 Connect Kit exploit [[9]](https://www.ledger.com/blog/a-letter-from-ledger-chairman-ceo-pascal-gauthier-regarding-ledger-connect-kit-exploit).
- **Hardware:** the Stax is made by Foxconn [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).

## Fun facts

- Ledger's devices were the first crypto wallets to obtain France's first-level security certification (CSPN) from the national cybersecurity agency ANSSI [[7]](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise)).
- Ledger's website footer calls the company the "Official Jersey Patch Partner of the San Antonio Spurs", and in October 2026 it shipped a Nano Gen5 Spurs Edition [[4]](https://www.ledger.com/press) [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026).

## Comparison

Ledger Wallet competes with app-only crypto wallets such as [MetaMask](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/metamask), [Trust Wallet](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/trust-wallet), [Exodus](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/exodus) and [Phantom](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/phantom). The choice between them turns on where the keys live. Ledger's case, in its own words, is that "contrairement aux wallets applicatifs" its wallets give you full control of your private keys, because signing happens on a separate device with its own screen [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr) [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026). The cost is buying a device. The 2023 Connect Kit incident showed the other side: the weak point was a website library, not the device, and Ledger's answer was to push "clear signing" so users can see what they approve [[9]](https://www.ledger.com/blog/a-letter-from-ledger-chairman-ceo-pascal-gauthier-regarding-ledger-connect-kit-exploit). Some app-only wallets are also providers inside Ledger Wallet: Exodus is listed among its partners [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr).

## Status

**Active.** The iOS app was updated on 12 October 2026 [[1]](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr), and Ledger published its third set of 2026 release notes on 7 October 2026, adding Crypto Loan [[5]](https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026).

## Sources

[1]: https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1361671700&country=fr "Wallet crypto - Ledger Wallet (App Store record) — Apple, read 21 Oct 2026"
[2]: https://github.com/ledgerhq "Ledger (LedgerHQ organisation README, naming rebrand note) — GitHub, read 21 Oct 2026"
[3]: https://www.ledger.com/ledger-wallet "Ledger Wallet app — Ledger, read 21 Oct 2026"
[4]: https://www.ledger.com/press "Ledger Press Kit — Ledger, read 21 Oct 2026"
[5]: https://www.ledger.com/blog-ledger-wallet-october-2026 "What's New In Ledger Wallet – October 2026 (release notes) — Ledger, 7 Oct 2026"
[6]: https://shop.ledger.com/pages/cl-card-crypto-card "CL Card — Ledger, read 21 Oct 2026"
[7]: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ledger_(entreprise) "Ledger (entreprise) — Wikipédia, read 21 Oct 2026"
[8]: https://www.ledger.com/message-ledgers-ceo-data-leak "Message by Ledger's CEO – Update on the July data breach — Ledger, 21 Dec 2020"
[9]: https://www.ledger.com/blog/a-letter-from-ledger-chairman-ceo-pascal-gauthier-regarding-ledger-connect-kit-exploit "A letter from Ledger Chairman & CEO Pascal Gauthier regarding Ledger Connect Kit exploit — Ledger, 14 Dec 2023"
[10]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ledger.live "Wallet crypto - Ledger Wallet (Google Play listing) — Google, read 21 Oct 2026"

## Source

Biography extracted from [ledger-wallet.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/ledger-wallet). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.