This presentation introduces developers to Ledger Live Wallet and the Developer Portal. It explains secure onboarding, APIs, recommended flows, and best practices for integrating Ledger® devices and Ledger Live into applications. The content is crafted for software engineers, product managers, and technical leads who want a concise, practical guide to begin development and testing.
This deck contains 10 sections (slides). Each slide is set to auto-advance every 10 seconds — you can change the timing in the control bar. Headings use H1–H5 semantics for accessibility and export fidelity. The total narrative is ~2500 words to support an in-depth walkthrough suitable for conversion into an office slide deck.
Designed with high-contrast color accents (teal & coral) for accessibility, clear typographic hierarchy, and a compact information-dense layout suitable for developer audiences.
Ledger Live centralizes account management and bridges the gap between the user's physical Ledger hardware and the wider blockchain ecosystem. Devices store private keys deterministically — the application acts as a trusted coordinator, presenting account state and preparing unsigned transactions for the device to sign. Accounts in Ledger Live map precisely to on-chain addresses and transaction histories; each account owns its fields, metadata and user preferences (labels, custom tokens, etc.).
Typical flow: prepare transaction data in the application → request a signature from the connected Ledger device → device displays transaction details for user confirmation → device returns a signature → application broadcasts the signed transaction. Understanding this lifecycle is essential for developers implementing signing flows or building integrations with Ledger-protected keys.
Never assume signing is instant: always design for asynchronous confirmation, user scrutiny, and possible rejection. Provide clear UX when waiting for the device and detailed errors when actions fail.
The Developer Portal hosts API references, SDK downloads, code samples, and a catalog of supported coins and protocols. It also contains hardware-specific guides that explain APDU commands or transport mechanisms for advanced use cases. Use the portal to discover official SDKs (JavaScript, TypeScript, Kotlin, Swift), CLI tools, and recommended third-party libraries maintained by the Ledger community.
Official SDKs abstract device communication, handle transport layers, and provide helpers to create and serialize transactions. Note that SDKs evolve with ledger-app versions; always pin to a tested SDK release and consult the portal changelog for breaking changes. For mobile integrations, refer to the mobile transport recommendations and sample apps included in the portal.
Begin with the JavaScript SDK for web integrations — it’s the most widely used and has the largest set of examples. For mobile-first apps, use the recommended mobile SDKs and test on actual hardware often.
Steps to get started: install Ledger Live on your development machine, download the desired app(s) on your Ledger device (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum), and enable developer mode or use testnet applications for safe experimentation. Ensure your development environment has proper permissions for USB and Bluetooth access if you intend to use web-USB or Bluetooth transports.
User onboarding should guide the user to confirm device PIN, install necessary apps, and make a secure backup of their recovery phrase. When developing onboarding flows, ensure privacy-first patterns: never request or transmit the recovery phrase and make explicit the actions that occur on-device vs in-app. Provide inline help and clear error messages when transport or device mismatches occur.
Use test networks and deterministic fixtures for automated tests. Avoid sharing private keys or recovery phrases in test data; instead provide instrumented emulators or dedicated developer devices.
Web apps typically use the Ledger JavaScript SDK with WebUSB or WebHID transports to communicate with the device. Important considerations: require HTTPS, request minimal permissions, handle feature detection gracefully, and provide fallbacks to desktop or mobile experiences. When preparing transactions client-side, include sufficient metadata for the user to verify on-device.
Mobile apps often use Ledger Live Link or Bluetooth transports. Some apps delegate signing workflows to Ledger Live itself via deep links or intent-based handoffs to improve security and UX. This pattern reduces the surface area of direct device interactions inside the third-party app and leverages Ledger Live’s trusted UI for transaction verification.
Backends commonly build unsigned transactions and pass them to the client for signing. Avoid holding private keys on servers; instead, treat the back end as a transaction builder and broadcaster. Validate each signed transaction server-side for structure and expected values before broadcasting to the network.
Ledger’s model mandates that private keys never leave the device. Your integration should never ask for recovery phrases, private keys, or seed values. Any request for such information in your app should be treated as a phishing attempt and reported.
Always show clear, human-readable transaction details to users before signing. The device will display amounts and addresses — ensure the data you send is the same information the device shows. Implement checksums and domain validation for contract interactions to avoid ambiguous UX on token approvals and smart contract calls.
Audit third-party libraries, pin dependency versions, and use reproducible builds where possible. Continuous integration pipelines should include security scans and automated tests simulating device responses and error conditions.
Before invoking the device, the app must explain intent: who is requesting the signature, the action being performed, and any amounts or gas fees. Avoid terse labels like "Approve" without additional context. When the action involves token approvals or contract calls, display the contract name, method, and purpose in plain language.
Provide clear progress indicators during device connection and signing. On failure, surface actionable next steps (e.g., reconnect device, install app on device, check Bluetooth settings). Keep error messages technical enough for support teams but friendly for end users.
Use semantic headings (H1–H5 here), ensure focus states for keyboard navigation, and provide ARIA labels for control elements. Tests should include screen readers and keyboard-only navigation to ensure inclusivity in signing workflows.
Unit test transaction builders thoroughly; use mocked transports and deterministic fixtures for signing responses. Integration tests should run against testnets or dedicated staging nodes. Use emulators for rapid loops, but confirm critical flows on real hardware periodically.
Incorporate automated linting, dependency scanning, and contract static analysis in CI. Run smoke tests that simulate a full signing cycle with an instrumented device or headless environment. If you expose developer APIs, include contract tests to ensure backward compatibility across releases.
Track sign requests, failure rates, and user cancellations (without logging secrets). Anomalies in signing frequency or error spikes may indicate UI regressions, transport regressions, or larger network-level issues that require rapid investigation.
Allow users to switch accounts and preview which account will sign a transaction. When you support multiple chains, surface chain IDs and human-readable chain names to avoid confusion. For wallets that aggregate accounts, provide an account picker with account metadata and balances.
When interacting with contracts, surface method names and input parameters clearly. Provide a summarized human-readable sentence describing the contract call impact. For token approvals, consider recommending spending-limited allowances and prompting users to prefer single-use approvals when appropriate.
Monitor firmware release notes, which may change APDU behavior or UX on the device. Test integrations against multiple firmware versions when practical and recommend updates to users when security or UX fixes are available.
1) Visit the Developer Portal for SDKs and code samples. 2) Set up a test device and install testnet apps. 3) Implement transaction builders and mock transport tests. 4) Conduct accessibility and security reviews. 5) Move to user testing with real hardware only after passing automated checks.
This single-file HTML slide deck can be opened in any modern browser. To convert it to PowerPoint (Office): print the deck to PDF from your browser (select "Save as PDF"), then open PowerPoint and import the PDF pages as slides (Office > Insert > PDF). Alternative: copy slide content into PowerPoint templates; the H1–H5 semantics here map to slide titles and subheadings for easier paste-and-formatting. Each slide is designed with a 10-second auto-advance to mirror your requested timing.