Ledger Live Developer Portal — A Practical Guide

Table of contents: Overview → Architecture → SDKs & APIs → Testing → Security → Publishing → Resources

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Overview

The Ledger Live Developer Portal is the central destination for developers building secure cryptocurrency experiences that integrate with Ledger hardware and the Ledger Live application. This portal organizes tools, API documentation, SDK packages, and integration examples so your application can interact with Ledger devices and Ledger Live flows safely and reliably.

Who is this guide for?

This post is written for product engineers, blockchain integrators, SDK maintainers, and technical PMs who need to design, build, test, and ship Ledger-connected features — whether that's account importers, transaction builders, swap integrations, or app-level hardware signing.

What you'll learn

Ledger Live architecture and extension points
Available SDKs and how to select the right one
How to securely sign transactions using a Ledger device
Testing, CI, and release workflows
Best practices and common pitfalls

Getting started

Before diving into code, sign up for any developer accounts required and read the conceptual docs. Install the Ledger Live application and ensure you have a supported Ledger device (Ledger Nano S Plus, Ledger Nano X, or equivalent). Keep your firmware up to date and ensure recovery phrases are securely stored.

Local environment checklist

Node (LTS) and package manager (npm/yarn/pnpm)
TypeScript recommended for type safety
Ledger Live or at least access to mock signing flows for local testing
Device emulator (if available) for automated tests

First integration steps

1. Explore the portal and find API references. 2. Choose the correct SDK (web vs. native). 3. Start with a minimal "Hello Ledger" flow: detect device, connect, fetch public key, and sign a test payload.

SDKs & APIs

Ledger exposes several SDKs and interfaces optimized for different platforms: JavaScript/TypeScript for web apps, native libraries for desktop apps, and mobile-ready stacks. Understanding the right abstraction reduces friction and avoids common mistakes.

Common SDK choices

1. @ledgerhq/hw-transport

Transport libraries abstract the physical or virtual connection between your app and the Ledger device (WebUSB, HID, Bluetooth). Use the appropriate transport for your target platform and always test on real devices.

2. Ledger application-specific libraries

Ledger apps (for each coin or family) expose signing commands implemented in APDU. High-level SDKs wrap these commands to provide typed interfaces (e.g., buildTransaction, signMessage).

3. Ledger Live bridges & integrations

In some flows, your service interacts indirectly through Ledger Live or a supporting bridge for improved UX (e.g., use Ledger Live for account discovery and transaction broadcasting while signing occurs on the device).

Example: Minimal JavaScript flow

// PSEUDO-CODE (illustrative)
import TransportWebUSB from "@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb";
import AppEth from "@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth";

async function signTest(){
  const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create();
  const eth = new AppEth(transport);
  const path = "44'/60'/0'/0/0";
  const { publicKey } = await eth.getAddress(path);
  const signature = await eth.signTransaction(path, rawTxHex);
  console.log(publicKey, signature);
}

Notes

Never transmit private keys or raw mnemonic phrases to remote services. Ledger devices are designed to keep keys on-device and provide cryptographic operations via APDU calls.

Architecture & flow

Integrations typically follow a pattern: Discovery → Connect → Request → User confirm on device → Receive signature → Broadcast. Your integration should carefully handle device timeouts, user cancellations, and concurrency.

Discovery and session management

Device discovery must be robust: watch for connect/disconnect events, handle multiple devices, and offer clear UX when permissions are needed (e.g., browser WebUSB prompts).

Transaction lifecycle

Construct an unsigned transaction (client or server-side)
Serialize and pass to the Ledger SDK for signing
Prompt the user to verify and confirm details on the hardware display
Receive the signature and assemble the final raw transaction
Broadcast via your node or a third-party RPC

Security considerations

Security is the primary reason to use Ledger hardware — but careless integrations can still introduce risk. Treat the Ledger device as a secure enclave and limit what you do with signed data.

Don'ts

Don't store user private keys, seed phrases, or signature secrets on your servers.
Don't auto-approve transactions — always require explicit device confirmation for transactions affecting funds.
Don't rely solely on client-side validation; validate transaction parameters server-side when appropriate.

Do's

Verify user-visible transaction details in a way the user can inspect on-device.
Use strict origin checks for any web-based transport (e.g., WebHID/WebUSB).
Use rate-limiting for signing endpoints and robust logging for auditability.

Attestation & device verification

Use device attestation features (if available) to verify the authenticity and firmware integrity of connected devices. Consider integrating attestation checks during onboarding and periodic audits.

Integration patterns

There is no one-size-fits-all. The choice between performing transaction construction client-side versus server-side depends on UX, regulatory needs, and who pays gas fees.

Client-side construction

Pros: better privacy (server never sees unsigned transaction details), lower latency for large flows. Cons: more complexity for multi-sig or advanced batching.

Server-side construction

Pros: centralized validation, easier to implement compliance-related checks. Cons: you must ensure that the unsigned payload is correctly sent to the signer and user can inspect details on the device.

Broadcasting & confirmations

After obtaining a signature, it's common to broadcast via a trusted RPC node and then surface confirmations to the user. Implement robust retry and nonce-handling logic to avoid double-spend or nonce gaps.

Testing & CI

Automated tests are crucial. Use device emulators when available, unit test transaction builders, and use integration tests that simulate the full signing flow. Include regression tests for different firmware versions and coin families.

Recommended test suite

Unit tests for all transaction builders and serializers
Integration tests for transport layers (HID, WebUSB, Bluetooth)
End-to-end tests with an emulator or test device
Fuzz tests for malformed APDU responses and unexpected disconnects

Best practices

UX considerations

Show clear instructions before prompting the user to connect a device. Show a countdown if waiting for user confirmation and allow friendly recovery paths if the user disconnects mid-signing.

API versioning and compatibility

Ledger apps and devices evolve. Version your integration and gracefully handle unsupported features. Detect firmware and app versions and surface informative messages to the user when upgrades are needed.

Localization & accessibility

Internationalize your prompts and ensure screen-readers and keyboard flows are supported for device pairing and confirmation screens.

Telemetry and analytics

Collect anonymous telemetry for errors and device compatibility, but avoid logging sensitive user data (addresses, transactions). Use telemetry to prioritize support for popular device+firmware combinations.

Publishing & distribution

If your work will be consumed by third-party users, provide clear documentation and sample apps. Create SDK packages with strong TypeScript types and publish to registries with versioned changelogs. Offer migration guides for breaking changes.

Developer experience

Publish minimal reproducible examples, include a CLI quickstart, and produce a playground or sandbox that developers can run without hardware (using mocked responses).

Resources & further reading

Start at the official developer portal and follow recommended guides. The portal contains language-specific SDKs, API references, and sample projects to accelerate your integration.

Quick links (official portal repeated)

Sample checklist for launch

Documentation & quickstart added to repo
Type definitions and examples for common use cases
Security review (including attestation checks if needed)
Cross-platform test matrix completed
Release notes and migration instructions for breaking changes