Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ Developer Portal

A comprehensive, colorful, designer-friendly walkthrough to help developers and power users integrate, test, and secure Ledger® Live and its developer tools.

Overview

Ledger® Live is the flagship wallet application that connects users to their private keys stored on Ledger hardware devices. The Developer Portal provides SDKs, APIs, documentation, and best practices so you — as a developer, integrator, or designer — can build applications that interoperate with Ledger devices and Ledger Live with confidence.

This guide walks through essential concepts, setup instructions, sample code snippets, and UX/security recommendations. It is intended for developers who want to:

  • Integrate Ledger-backed signing into web or desktop apps;
  • Use the Ledger Live APIs for account synchronisation and transaction broadcasting;
  • Design secure and user-friendly onboarding for hardware wallet users.

Who should read this?

Frontend and backend engineers, SDK maintainers, technical product managers, and designer-developer teams building crypto-native experiences should read this guide. A basic understanding of cryptography, wallets, and REST/WebSocket APIs will help you move faster.

Getting started — install & configuration

Prerequisites

Before integrating with Ledger Live or device APIs, ensure the following:

  1. You have a Ledger hardware device (Ledger Nano S Plus, Nano X, or other supported model).
  2. Ledger Live installed and up-to-date on your development machine.
  3. Node.js (LTS) and a modern browser for web integrations.
  4. Familiarity with command-line tooling and secure key-handling practices.

Install Ledger Live

Get Ledger Live for your platform and follow the official installer. Ledger Live manages the communication between your application and Ledger devices during development and testing.

# Example — link to download Ledger Live curl -LO https://www.ledger.com/ledger-live/download

Developer mode & USB permissions

On Linux, ensure udev rules or appropriate permissions to access USB devices. On macOS and Windows, follow platform-specific prompts to grant access. When using emulators or virtual devices, confirm that Ledger Live is configured to expose debug endpoints if available.

Developer tools & SDKs

Official SDKs

Ledger publishes libraries and SDKs that simplify application development. Popular packages include:

  • @ledgerhq/hw-transport-node-hid – Node HID transport for desktop apps.
  • @ledgerhq/hw-app-eth – Ethereum app helper for signing and address derivation.
  • @ledgerhq/live-common – Shared utilities used by Ledger Live codebase.

Local development flow

A typical development flow looks like this:

  1. Install SDKs via npm or yarn.
  2. Connect the Ledger device and open the relevant app (e.g. Ethereum, Bitcoin).
  3. Use transport libraries to request addresses, sign transactions, and verify user confirmation on-device.

Minimal code example (JavaScript)

import TransportNodeHid from '@ledgerhq/hw-transport-node-hid'; import AppEth from '@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth'; async function getAddress(){ const transport = await TransportNodeHid.create(); const eth = new AppEth(transport); const result = await eth.getAddress("44'/60'/0'/0/0"); console.log('Address:', result.address); } getAddress().catch(console.error);
Notes

Always close transports when finished. When building a browser-based app, prefer the WebUSB/WebHID transports and prompt users with clear on-screen guidance to open the correct app on their device.

Security best practices

Ledger devices are designed so the private keys never leave the hardware. However, secure integration matters at every layer:

Protect the host environment

Assume hosts (user machines) may be compromised. Minimise exposed attack surfaces by avoiding unnecessary logging of sensitive data, using strict Content Security Policies for web apps, and signing binaries where possible.

Transaction transparency

Always let users verify transaction details on the device screen. Present condensed but precise information in your app: destination address, amount, fees, and any smart contract method names or parameters when applicable.

Key management

Never request the user to reveal their recovery phrase. If building account recovery flows, rely on standards like BIP39/BIP44 and clearly explain their security implications—preferably linking to official resources.

API examples & common patterns

Ledger Live exposes multiple integration points depending on the workflow: account discovery, balance sync, transaction signing, and broadcast. Below are common patterns.

1. Account discovery

Use derivation paths and coin-specific helpers to enumerate addresses. Cache results and re-check on-demand rather than polling aggressively.

2. Signing & user confirmation

When asking the device to sign a transaction, display the transaction payload in a human-readable format and instruct the user to verify details on their Ledger device screen. Example flow for Ethereum EIP-1559: prepare the payload, call the sign method, and broadcast the raw signed transaction.

Sample HTTP flow (server-assisted broadcast)

POST /create-unsigned-transaction Body: { fromAddress, toAddress, amount } Server: construct unsigned tx, return payload to client Client: request signature via Ledger device Client -> Server: send signed raw tx Server: broadcast to network and return tx hash

UX & designer guidance

Onboarding

Smooth onboarding reduces errors and support burden. Provide a clear checklist: backup seed phrase, device firmware up-to-date, open the correct app, and keep anti-phishing tips visible. Use microcopy to guide non-technical users through each step.

Visual confirmation patterns

Keep the most important transaction fields prominent and use consistent labeling. When a device prompt appears, display a preview modal in your app and ask users to confirm once the device shows the same details.

Accessibility

Ensure all screens are keyboard navigable and support screen readers. Provide text equivalents for on-device icons or gestures. Test high-contrast and large-text scenarios.

Integration checklist

Use this checklist before shipping an integration:

  • Test with multiple Ledger hardware models.
  • Validate address derivation across coins and paths.
  • Confirm device prompts match app payloads.
  • Perform end-to-end tests with testnets.
  • Implement graceful fallback for unsupported coins/apps.
  • Document required Ledger app versions for users.

Troubleshooting & common pitfalls

USB connection issues

Many issues stem from missing permissions, old drivers, or other wallet applications grabbing the device. Suggest restarting Ledger Live and the browser, checking USB cables, and confirming the device isn’t blocked by OS-level privacy settings.

App mismatch

If users attempt to sign an Ethereum transaction while the Bitcoin app is open on the device, the device will refuse. Your UX should detect this and prompt users to open the correct app.

Resources & further reading

Below are official resources, community hubs, and code repositories to help you go deeper. Bookmark these as you develop:

Open-source projects

Explore Ledger’s GitHub for examples, transport implementations, and community tools. Contributing back helps everyone—consider raising reproducible issues and small PRs that improve docs or developer ergonomics.

Conclusion

Integrating with Ledger Live and Ledger hardware is a path to stronger security and user trust. By following best practices for device interactions, transaction transparency, and UX design, you can build applications that feel native, secure, and delightful for users who prioritise custody and safety.

Start small, test on public testnets, and iterate. The developer ecosystem around Ledger is supportive and growing — whether you’re building dApps, exchange tooling, or custodial onboarding flows, Ledger tools make secure key custody approachable.

Explore the Developer Portal