This document is a 10-slide technical overview created as a colorful, accessible HTML presentation. It uses semantic headings (h1 → h5) for clear structure and accessibility. Each slide focuses on a different technical topic: architecture, device integration, transaction flow, key management, backup & recovery, signing, APIs, firmware & updates, developer tools, and troubleshooting.
Ledger Live is a client application that interacts with hardware wallet devices (Ledger Nano S/X and others) and remote nodes or third-party APIs. The main components include the UI front-end, a secure communication layer to the device, a local node or remote RPC clients, and a persistence layer for user preferences and encrypted caches.
Ledger devices accept APDU-style instructions over secure transport (USB HID, WebUSB or Bluetooth LE). The client creates ISO-like APDUs encapsulating commands for deriving keys, getting public keys, and signing.
Ledger devices store a master seed in secure element memory. Derivation paths (BIP-32/BIP-44/BIP-39 combos) are used to create deterministic keys. The device never exposes the seed; only public keys and signed messages are returned after user approval.
Use explicit derivation path handling, avoid leaking private key material to external services, and implement hardened derivations where appropriate for account isolation.
Transactions in Ledger Live are built locally: the wallet composes the transaction, serializes it into a chain-specific format, sends it to the device for deterministic signing, then attaches the signature and broadcasts the completed transaction through the network layer.
Always verify unsigned transaction details on-device (amounts, recipient addresses, fees). The device provides a final human-verifiable confirmation step that protects against MITM modifications.
Ledger devices use BIP-39 mnemonics for backup. Users record the recovery phrase offline. The software should encourage secure, offline backups and provide guidance for recovery workflows without ever transmitting the phrase over a network.
Recovery is done by entering the mnemonic into a compatible device which will recreate the seed. Developers should document recovery complexity, and design UX flows that make the user aware of the irrecoverability if phrases are lost.
Ledger provides SDKs (JavaScript libraries) that wrap transport and APDU complexity. For third-party integrations, the recommended approach is to use the official libraries to interact with devices and to keep the signing logic on-device.
When integrating blockchain node APIs for balance and broadcast functions, implement caching, pagination, and backoff strategies. Avoid over-querying public nodes; instead, consider using dedicated RPC endpoints or a proxy service.
Ledger devices rely on a secure element to keep secrets isolated. Firmware updates are signed by Ledger and verified by the device bootloader. The model minimizes attack surface by enforcing signed firmware and requiring user validation for critical operations.
Keep firmware up-to-date and present clear UX for update prompts. Provide robust rollback prevention and clear messaging for firmware state and device integrity.
Use emulator environments and the official SDK test harnesses to validate integration. Logging should be non-sensitive (no private keys or recovery phrases). Unit tests for serialization, canonical signing, and derivation path handling are essential to prevent errors in production.
Collect anonymized telemetry to improve reliability, and present clear error codes to users when transport failures, firmware mismatches, or signing aborts occur.
Typical problems include transport enumeration failures (drivers/BLE pairing), firmware mismatch, or chain-specific serialization differences. Provide a guided diagnostic flow to test transport, device status, and network connectivity.
Maintain a short runbook: check device firmware, verify transport permissions, confirm derivation path and account index, re-run with debug logs, and escalate to support with sanitized logs. Ensure users never transmit recovery phrases to support channels.