Introduction — Why Ledger® Live as a developer?
Ledger® Live Wallet is a secure, user-facing application for interacting with hardware wallets and crypto accounts. If you're a developer wanting to build integrations, extensions, or enterprise tooling that interacts with Ledger devices or the Live ecosystem, the Developer Portal is where you begin. This guide takes you through fundamentals, credentials, flows, and best practices so you can move from concept to prototype quickly and confidently.
Prerequisites & account setup
What you need before you start
- A Ledger hardware device (e.g., Ledger Nano)
- Ledger Live installed on your development machine
- A developer account on the Developer Portal (register before requesting API keys)
- Familiarity with web technologies: JavaScript/TypeScript, Web APIs, and optionally Node.js
Creating a Developer Portal account
Head to the Developer Portal and sign up with your business or personal email. Use your portal dashboard to register applications, request API keys, and configure webhook endpoints. Remember to keep your client secrets safe and never commit them to public repositories.
Key concepts: accounts, apps, and permissions
Accounts and devices
Ledger® Live manages multiple accounts derived from hardware device keys. Each account maps to a blockchain address and associated metadata. The Developer Portal exposes APIs and SDKs to query account balances, request transactions, or trigger device actions (user confirmation on the device is required for signing operations).
Applications & API keys
Register each app to obtain API credentials. There are typically two credential types: public client IDs for client-side integration and secret keys for server-to-server communication. Assign only the minimal permissions your app requires to follow the principle of least privilege.
Permissions & scopes
OAuth-style scopes control access. Typical scopes include read-only account data, transaction creation, and webhooks. Keep the scopes narrow and request user consent prominently in your UI.
Quickstart: a minimal JavaScript integration
1. Install the SDK
Many integrations use the official JS SDK. Install via npm:
npm install @ledger/live-sdk # or with yarn yarn add @ledger/live-sdk
2. Initialize the SDK
Example initialization pattern for client-side usage (safe to use public client ID only):
import LedgerLive from '@ledger/live-sdk';
const client = new LedgerLive({
clientId: 'YOUR_CLIENT_ID',
environment: 'sandbox' // or 'production'
});
3. Request accounts
Get a list of accounts associated with the connected device (the user will confirm on their device):
const accounts = await client.accounts.list(); console.log(accounts);
Note: replace placeholders with real values and only use secret keys on trusted servers.
Transaction flow & security best practices
End-to-end signing
Ledger devices enforce signing on-device. Your app should prepare unsigned transactions server-side or client-side, then prompt the device to sign. Never transmit private keys over the network.
Typical transaction lifecycle
- Prepare transaction data (inputs, outputs, fees).
- Present transaction summary to the user in-app for consent.
- Send unsigned payload to Ledger device for user confirmation and signature.
- Receive signed transaction and broadcast to the network via a node or API.
Security checklist
- Use HTTPS, verify TLS certificates, and pin where feasible.
- Keep secret keys only on trusted servers and rotate them periodically.
- Implement rate-limiting for API endpoints and webhooks.
- Log minimally and avoid storing sensitive payloads.
Webhooks, events, and background processing
Using webhooks for account events
The Developer Portal allows you to register webhook URLs to receive events like account.updated, transaction.confirmed, or device.connected. Design the webhook consumer to validate signatures and respond with a 2xx code quickly.
Idempotency and retries
Always implement idempotent handlers because webhooks may be retried. Use event IDs to deduplicate and persist only allowed data. If processing is long, accept the webhook and handle heavy work asynchronously on your side.
Testing & sandbox environment
Sandbox basics
Use the sandbox environment for early testing. It mimics production behavior but with test currencies and devices so you can iterate without risking real funds. Create test accounts and pre-set device behavior via the portal where available.
Automated testing tips
- Mock SDK calls where possible to simulate device responses.
- Create integration tests that run in the sandbox environment to verify behavior end-to-end.
- Use CI secrets to store sandbox keys securely and rotate them.
UI/UX patterns when integrating with Ledger
Clear signing prompts
Because the physical device requires a confirmation step, design your UI to show precisely what the device will show. Add clear success and failure flows and explain why the user needs to confirm on their device.
Progressive disclosure
Show concise summaries by default and allow users to expand to see full transaction details—this helps non-technical users while giving power users the data they expect.
Common pitfalls & troubleshooting
Device connection issues
If devices fail to connect, check USB/driver permissions (on desktop) or WebHID/WebUSB permissions on browsers. Encourage users to update their Ledger firmware and Live app if encountering unexpected errors.
Signature rejects
Signature rejects typically occur because the transaction was mutated or the device’s derivation path didn’t match the expected account. Always verify the derivation path and reconstruction logic you use to build unsigned transactions.
Advanced topics
Third-party integrations
Consider integrating with relayers, swap providers, or custodial services where allowed by the platform policy. When using third-party services, keep user consent, data minimization, and security top of mind.
Enterprise deployments
Enterprises often need audit trails, dedicated API rate limits, and legal compliance support. Contact the Developer Portal's business support channel to request enterprise-level features.
Sample code snippet: server-to-device signing (conceptual)
// Conceptual Node.js snippet (do NOT paste secrets in public repos)
import express from 'express';
import LedgerLiveServerSDK from '@ledger/live-sdk-server';
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());
const sdk = new LedgerLiveServerSDK({
apiKey: process.env.LL_API_KEY,
environment: 'sandbox'
});
app.post('/create-transaction', async (req, res) => {
const { accountId, to, amount } = req.body;
const unsigned = await sdk.transactions.prepare({ accountId, to, amount });
// return unsigned payload to client which will use device to sign
res.json({ unsigned });
});
This is a simplified conceptual pattern. Consult official SDK docs for exact method names and parameter shapes.
Resources & further reading
Where to learn more
- Developer Portal: App registration, API docs, sandbox.
- SDK repositories for JavaScript and other languages.
- Security whitepapers and recommended cryptographic practices.
Tip: bookmark the Developer Portal and turn on developer notifications for change logs—APIs can evolve and you’ll want to adapt early.
Conclusion
Getting started with the Ledger® Live Wallet Developer Portal is straightforward when you focus on security-first design and small iteration cycles. Start in the sandbox, register your app, and gradually expand permissions as you validate flows with real users. With the right practices—clear UX, strict secrets handling, webhook verification—you’ll build reliable integrations that empower users while preserving the security guarantees the Ledger ecosystem is known for.
Call to action
Ready to build? Click the button below to go register your first app on the Developer Portal and explore SDK examples.
Open Developer Portal