Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ Developer Portal

Introduction — why Ledger developer tools matter

Ledger's developer ecosystem provides APIs, SDKs and submission guidelines that let dApps, wallets and services integrate with secure, hardware-backed signing. Whether you want to build a Live App (in-wallet app), connect to accounts, or submit a device app to the Ledger catalogue, the Developer Portal is the single starting point for specs, examples and release policies.

Who this guide is for

Developers building integrations that rely on Ledger signers (hardware devices) — frontend devs adding hardware wallet support, backend engineers automating transaction flows, and security engineers verifying signing processes.

Quick-start: from zero to a dev-ready integration

1. Read the Developer Portal & Docs

Start at the official Developer Portal where you'll find architecture overviews, the Wallet API reference, SDKs and submission deliverables. The portal explains integration paths (Accounts, Live Apps, Device Apps) and the recommended security models for on-device signing vs remote or hosted signing.

2. Choose your integration type

Accounts integration — obtain account information and integrate balance/transaction views into your service.
Live App — build a web app that runs within the Ledger Wallet environment and talks to the Wallet API.
Device App — write an on-device application for supported Ledger devices using the Secure SDK (BOLOS).

3. Install SDKs & local dev tooling

Clone the official repositories, run the monorepo dev server for the Wallet API client and enable developer mode in Ledger Wallet for local testing. Use the secure SDK if you target on-device apps.

Minimal Wallet API example (pseudo-code)

// connect to Wallet API (example, conceptual)
import WalletClient from "@ledger/wallet-api-client";

async function connect() {
  const client = new WalletClient({ origin: window.location.origin });
  await client.requestConnection(); // prompts the user in Ledger Wallet
  const accounts = await client.getAccounts();
  console.log(accounts);
}
      

Security best practices

Never ask for seed phrases

Ledger devices and Ledger Wallet will never request a seed phrase through an app. Any interface that asks a user to reveal their recovery phrase is a scam — highlight this prominently in your UX and block flows that would trick users into entering secrets into web forms.

On-device signing whenever possible

Prioritize signing operations on the device (or with a signer) so your service never has access to private keys. The Ledger platform is explicitly designed for this model — your backend should only orchestrate transactions and verify signatures.

Testing & QA

Use Ledger's developer mode and test devices. Follow the submission deliverables and documentation checklist when preparing an app for review to avoid rejections during the Ledger catalogue process.

10 Official links (colored — copyable anchors)

Below are 10 official Ledger links you can use as references in docs, README files or your project's integration guide. These are the canonical pages for the Developer Portal, Wallet API, SDKs, repos and announcements.

Tip: each link above uses a CSS class for custom color. You can copy the classes (link-a .. link-j) to restyle anchors across your site for an accessible and consistent palette.

Developer checklist before submitting

• Follow the documentation deliverables: short intro, requirements, install/setup steps and support info.
• Test on actual supported devices (Nano family, Stax, etc.).
• Enable developer mode in Ledger Wallet during QA to catch UX edge cases.
• Use secure on-device signing; never collect private keys or recovery phrases.
• Provide clear support & contact information for users who encounter device-specific issues.

Example: minimal README snippet for a Live App

# My Live App for Ledger Wallet
- Brief: A Live App that displays token balances and creates signed transactions via the Wallet API.
- Prereqs:
  - Node >= 16
  - Ledger Wallet dev mode enabled
- Run:
  npm install
  npm run dev
- Notes: This app uses @ledger/wallet-api-client and never transmits private keys.
      

Conclusion & next steps

Ledger's Developer Portal and the Wallet API significantly lower the friction to integrate hardware-backed signing into your application. Start by reading the portal and the Wallet API docs, clone the official repositories for hands-on exploration, and follow the submission deliverables closely to ensure a smooth review and publication.

If you'd like, I can:

• Generate a simplified integration README tailored to your framework (React, Next.js, Vue).
• Create a color-matched HTML snippet for your docs site with the same link palette.
• Draft the short "Security" modal copy to show users when a Ledger device is requested.