Ledger Live Wallet — Technical Edition

1.1 Two-tiered app model

Ledger Live follows a two-tier model: (A) the host application (Ledger Live) that runs on the user's machine and provides network access, user interface, account aggregation, and wallet management; and (B) the device firmware (BOLOS & secure element) that contains the private keys and enforces user confirmation of sensitive actions. The host never exposes raw private keys — all signing operations are proxied to the hardware device.

1.2 Monorepo & modular codebase

The Ledger Live codebase is organized as a monorepository for the JS/TS ecosystem: UI components, wallet logic, network adapters, and background services are grouped to encourage reuse and predictable release cycles. This arrangement allows parallel development of mobile and desktop clients while sharing cryptographic and wallet libraries.

1.3 Network adapters and blockchain plugins

Ledger Live uses adapter layers or plugins per blockchain to translate between on-chain data models and Ledger's internal account abstractions. This plugin model simplifies adding new blockchains and token standards and isolates network-specific code from portfolio and UX components.

Implementation note

Developers building Live Apps or integrations should consult the developer portal and the wallet API docs for the recommended integration patterns and SDKs.

2.1 Root of trust — Secure Element & BOLOS

Ledger devices rely on a Secure Element (SE) chip that provides hardware-based isolation. BOLOS (Ledger's OS) runs within the SE and enforces policies: private key generation, non-exportability of keys, user PIN check, and per-app isolation. This means the signing key material never leaves the secure chip and hostile software on the host cannot directly extract it.

2.2 Transaction verification & UX defenses

Ledger devices require explicit user confirmation for transaction details on the device screen. For multi-output transactions, the device displays summary info and lets the user approve or reject. This mitigates many remote attack vectors by ensuring that sensitive approval is bound to the hardware display and physical buttons.

2.3 Backup & recovery patterns

The canonical backup method is the 24-word secret recovery phrase generated during setup. Ledger has published technical documentation and additional services (optional) for recovery/backup. Users must never share recovery phrases and should only download Ledger Live from official sources.

3.1 Developer portal & Live Apps

Ledger provides a developer portal, SDKs, and a "Live Apps" capability that lets third-party services surface inside Ledger Live or integrate smoothly. Wallet APIs are designed for secure interactions — developer docs describe how to use the wallet-api and the Ledger Services Kit to build embedded experiences.

3.2 RPC vs local-host models

Integrations usually follow one of two approaches: direct RPC to blockchain nodes (via adapters) or relying on curated remote services for price, swap routing, or staking. Ledger Live abstracts these away, exposing higher-level operations like "send", "swap", "stake", while delegating signing to the hardware device.

3.3 Example: build flow for a Live App

// simplified pseudocode
// 1) request account authorization via Ledger Live
const accounts = await ledgerLive.requestAccounts({ currency: 'ETH' });
// 2) build a transaction payload on the host
const tx = buildTransfer(accounts[0], dest, amount);
// 3) send payload for device signing
const signed = await ledgerLive.signTransaction(tx);
// 4) broadcast the signed transaction through the host network adapter
await network.broadcast(signed);

The important guarantees: transaction payloads traverse the host for enrichment (gas estimation, nonce), but the final signature step happens inside the device.

4.1 Versioning and releases

Ledger Live releases frequent updates to support new assets, chain forks, UI improvements, and security patches. The code and release artifacts are available publicly (repositories and release notes), and users should follow official channels to install updates — particularly firmware updates for the hardware device which often include important security patches.

4.2 Firmware interaction

Firmware updates are delivered to hardware devices and often require user confirmation on the device. The update flow is designed to be secure and verifiable; Ledger signs firmware images and the update step requires local device approval to avoid remote tampering.

4.3 CI & tests

The monorepo and public CI pipelines typically run unit tests, integration tests and static analysis. Device-in-the-loop tests (hardware signing) are part of higher-level QA for release candidates. Open-source repos expose the code and many projects welcome community audits and PRs.

5.1 Downloading & authenticity

Always download Ledger Live and firmware updates from official channels. Avoid third-party or torrent sources. Ledger has public downloads and release notes to verify authenticity before installing. Keep the device firmware and Ledger Live up to date.

5.2 Handling recovery phrases

Never enter a recovery phrase into a host computer or mobile; only enter it when instructed by the device during setup. Use offline, physically-secure backups (metal plates) for long-term durability. Beware of phishing attempts and fake apps that prompt for your seed — the device will never request the seed during normal operations.

5.3 Threat model & multi-party defenses

For high-value custody, combine device usage with multi-sig (where supported), geographically separated backups, and air-gapped workflows. Treat the Ledger device as a signing oracle: protect the host environment, but design for the attacker to compromise the host and rely on the device's display & button confirmations as the final gate.