Overview
This Developer Portal landing page provides a concise, practical path for engineers and product teams who want to integrate Ledger® Wallet technologies into their applications. Below you'll find quick start steps, recommended SDKs, security considerations, testing guidance, and links to official developer documentation.
Quick start (in 5 steps)
- Explore the docs: Start with the official Ledger developer documentation to understand supported APIs and integration models. (See the sidebar for direct links.)
- Choose your stack: Pick the SDKs or libraries for your platform (Web, Node.js, mobile). Ledger commonly provides JavaScript/TypeScript SDKs and REST endpoints for server-side integrations.
- Get a test device or emulator: Use a Ledger device in a sandbox environment or a hardware emulator if available. Never use production seed words for testing.
- Implement and sign transactions: Use the Ledger SDK to prepare unsigned transactions, send them to the hardware wallet for user confirmation, and broadcast signed transactions from a secure server or client.
- Audit & secure: Add code-level audits, isolate signing operations to hardware confirmations, and follow the security checklist below.
Recommended integration patterns
Client-side (Web / dApp)
For web applications and decentralized apps, integrate Ledger via WebUSB, WebHID, or a supported browser bridge. Always present the transaction details to the user and require on-device confirmation before broadcasting signed transactions.
Server-side (Backend)
Keep sensitive logic and broadcasting in a hardened backend. The server may prepare transactions and validate them, but private keys remain on the device — signing must be performed with explicit user consent on the hardware wallet.
Security checklist for integrations
- Never request or transmit a user's recovery phrase. Ledger support will never ask for it.
- Use transport-layer encryption (TLS) for all network communications.
- Validate transaction payloads both client- and server-side; display human-readable amounts and recipients on the device where possible.
- Limit and rotate API keys used by server-to-server integrations, and use least-privilege access controls.
- Log suspicious activity and provide users with clear instructions to verify transaction details on their device.
Testing and sandbox
Create isolated testnets and accounts for development. Avoid using mainnet funds during early integration — use public testnets (e.g., Ropsten/Goerli for Ethereum or corresponding test networks) and mock nodes for rapid iteration. Consider automated tests that verify low-level transaction formation without exposing secrets.
Useful snippets
// Example: prepare a transaction and request device signature (pseudo-code)
const tx = await buildTransaction({to: recipient, value: amount});
const unsigned = serialize(tx);
const signature = await ledgerDevice.sign(unsigned); // triggers on-device approval
const txHex = applySignature(unsigned, signature);
await rpc.broadcast(txHex);
Common pitfalls
- Assuming client-side confirmations are sufficient — always require on-device verification for sensitive operations.
- Using production recovery seeds for testing — seeds should never be reused or exposed in test logs.
- Neglecting UX for approvals — unclear transaction descriptions lead to user mistakes; show precise, human-readable details.
This page is intended as a practical developer starting point. For API references, SDK downloads, and the latest integration patterns consult the official developer documentation linked at the right.