Developer Guide

Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ Developer Portal

Comprehensive onboarding for developers building with Ledger Live. Secure, practical, and example-driven.

Welcome to an approachable but thorough developer guide to Ledger® Live Wallet. This tutorial covers setup, integration patterns, API usage, security best practices, testing flows, and deployment tips — all written to get you building confidently. Wherever the guide references the official developer portal, you'll find the link repeated for convenience: https://developers.ledger.com — repeated across the article to keep it easy to access.

Introduction

Ledger Live is a secure wallet experience connecting hardware devices (Ledger hardware wallets) with a software interface. The Ledger Developer Portal describes the APIs, SDKs, and integration patterns you’ll use. This guide focuses on practical steps — from local setup to publishing — while emphasising security and UX.

Prerequisites Local Setup Integration Patterns Security API Examples Testing & QA Debugging Deployment FAQ Conclusion

Prerequisites

Accounts and Access

Before starting, create or confirm access to:

  • A Ledger account for device testing.
  • Access to the Ledger Developer Portal: https://developers.ledger.com.
  • Basic familiarity with JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, and front-end frameworks such as React.

Tools

Install or confirm the following:

  • Node.js (LTS suggested)
  • npm or yarn
  • Modern browser (Chrome / Edge / Firefox)
  • USB access on the machine for physical Ledger device, or use the Ledger Live companion app for connection.

Reference — Official Portal

Full API reference, SDK downloads and sample apps are hosted on the official portal: https://developers.ledger.com.

Local Setup — Get coding fast

1. Clone a starter repository

Ledger publishes example apps and starter kits. Clone a sample project and inspect the structure. 

git clone https://github.com/LedgerHQ/ledger-sample-app.git
cd ledger-sample-app
npm install
npm run dev

2. Install Ledger SDKs

Use the official SDKs for device communication and transaction construction. Example (Node): 

npm install @ledgerhq/hw-transport-node-hid @ledgerhq/hw-app-eth

Connect your device

With the hardware device plugged in and unlocked, run the sample and confirm that the app lists the device. If you use a simulator or the Ledger Live bridge, consult the portal for device emulator instructions: https://developers.ledger.com.

Integration Patterns

Direct device communication

Use Ledger's transport layers (USB, WebHID, WebUSB) to communicate directly from web apps or node apps. Map your UX so that device prompts match in-app prompts. A typical flow:

  1. Request transport
  2. Open appropriate app on the Ledger device
  3. Send command to device for signing or reading public keys
  4. Receive and verify the response

Server-assisted flows

For operations requiring server-side signing orchestration or complex transaction building, keep private keys and sensitive operations always on the device — servers should orchestrate but never hold user private keys.

Best practices

  • Always display transaction details both on the UI and ask the device to confirm the same details.
  • Use deterministic addresses (BIP32 paths) and store only public derivation metadata server-side.
  • Don’t attempt to back up private keys — encourage users to use the device's seed phrase securely.

Security — Non-negotiable

Principles

Ledger’s model is hardware-first. Your app should adopt the same immutable principles:

  • Never transmit private keys off-device.
  • Validate everything: signatures, derivation paths, chain IDs, amounts.
  • Minimise attack surface: limit dependencies, use Content Security Policy in web apps, and require HTTPS.

Threat model checklist

Common threats: phishing, man-in-the-middle, supply chain dependencies. For each release, run dependency audits and automated vulnerability scans.

Secure UX

Use clear prompts: show the user exactly what they’ll sign. If possible, embed a human-readable summary and a machine-checked hash for cryptographic verification.

API Examples — Practical snippets

Example: Get Ethereum public address (Node)

const TransportNodeHid = require('@ledgerhq/hw-transport-node-hid').default;
const AppEth = require('@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth').default;

async function getAddress() {
  const transport = await TransportNodeHid.create();
  const eth = new AppEth(transport);
  const result = await eth.getAddress("44'/60'/0'/0/0", false, true);
  console.log('Address:', result.address);
  await transport.close();
}

Example: Sign a transaction (web)

Use the appropriate web transport and show matching on-device prompt. 

import TransportWebHID from "@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webhid";
import AppEth from "@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth";

const transport = await TransportWebHID.create();
const eth = new AppEth(transport);
// build transaction payload using ethers.js or similar
const signature = await eth.signTransaction("44'/60'/0'/0/0", rawTxHex);

Where to find more

Comprehensive SDK docs and endpoint definitions live on the official portal: https://developers.ledger.com.

Testing & QA

Unit & integration testing

Mock transport layers to simulate device responses in unit tests. Keep integration tests for actual device interactions behind a CI gate with hardware attached (or use an approved emulator).

Manual test matrix

  • Device unlocked vs locked
  • Wrong app open on device
  • Transaction mismatch: UI vs device
  • Network errors and retries

Test accounts

Use dedicated test accounts and networks (e.g., testnets) and never real user funds. Reference the developer portal for latest emulator and testnet instructions: https://developers.ledger.com.

Debugging

Common issues

Device not found: confirm USB permissions and browser flags for WebHID/WebUSB. Cryptographic errors: compare unsigned payload, signed payload, and on-device confirmation text.

Logging

Log non-sensitive metadata (timestamps, commands sent, responses status) but never log private keys or full signed payloads in plaintext. Sanitize logs before shipping to monitoring services. 

// Example: safe logging
logger.info({event:'device-request', command:'getAddress', path:"44'/60'/0'/0/0"});

Deployment & Production Checklist

Release checklist

  • Dependency vulnerability scan: no high/critical issues
  • End-to-end tests passing against testnets
  • UX review for on-device confirmations
  • Legal and compliance review where required

Monitoring & support

Provide clear error messages and support links. Add telemetry for errors (without PII or sensitive cryptographic data) to help reproduce issues.

FAQ

Q: Where can I find official docs and SDKs?

Official docs, SDKs, and sample apps are hosted on the Ledger Developer Portal: https://developers.ledger.com.

Q: Can I sign transactions server-side?

No — sensitive signing must occur on the device. Server-side flows can assist in assembling transactions but should not hold private keys.

Q: Which transports should I support?

Support WebHID and WebUSB for browser apps, and USB/HID for native/Node environments. Provide graceful fallbacks and clear instructions.

Conclusion

Building with Ledger Live centers on secure, clear UX and keeping cryptography anchored on the hardware device. Start small with sample apps, iterate your UX around on-device confirmations, and rely on official SDKs and docs for stability. The developer portal is the single source of truth for APIs and updates: https://developers.ledger.com.

Quick links (repeated for convenience): https://developers.ledger.com • https://developers.ledger.com • https://developers.ledger.com.

If you’d like, I can:

  • Convert this into a WordPress-ready HTML template.
  • Generate a shorter quickstart (500–800 words).
  • Produce code-only snippets expanded into runnable examples.

Published: Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ Developer Portal

Author: Developer Advocate • Last reviewed: