Ledger.com/start — Secure Your Ledger Wallet 🔐🔑
Professional-grade security for your crypto holdings. Whether you're building a diversified portfolio, managing treasury assets for a startup, or simply protecting long-term holdings, a hardware wallet remains one of the most reliable defenses against online threats. Below you'll find clear guidance, practical tips, and essential features to help you secure your Ledger device and safeguard your private keys.
Why hardware wallets matter 💼
Hardware wallets store your private keys offline, isolating them from malware, phishing, and compromised devices. They combine tamper-resistant hardware, secure elements, and clear recovery flows to give you an auditable, portable root of trust. For professionals and institutions, this reduces operational risk and simplifies auditing and compliance.
Getting started — essential steps
- Unbox securely: Verify tamper-evidence and only set up from the manufacturer's official site or instructions. Never accept pre-initialized devices from third parties.
- Create your PIN: Choose a PIN you can remember but that is not trivially guessable. This PIN protects the device if it is lost or stolen.
- Backup your recovery phrase 🔑: Write your recovery phrase on secure material (metal backup recommended) and store it in a separate, secure location. This phrase is the only way to recover your assets if the device is lost.
- Verify addresses: Always confirm receiving addresses on the device display — never rely solely on the computer screen.
Advanced operational tips for teams
When managing funds for a business, split duties across multiple devices and use multisig where possible. Rotate keys according to your firm's policy, keep audit logs of device custody transfers, and use dedicated, air-gapped workstations for high-value transactions.
Common threats and how to mitigate them
Phishing and social engineering are the most common risks. Always verify domain names, avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages, and never enter your recovery phrase into software or websites. Treat your recovery phrase like the master key to your treasury — if it is exposed, funds cannot be protected.
Features & benefits ✨
Ledger devices emphasize three core benefits: robust offline key storage, clear transaction verification, and a user-friendly interface for managing multiple blockchains. Combined, these features let you maintain custody with confidence while interacting with DeFi, NFTs, and institutional tools.
Best practices checklist ✅
- Use official firmware: Only install updates from the official vendor site and verify firmware signatures when available.
- Secure backups: Use a metal backup plate for recovery phrases to survive fire, water, and aging.
- Limit exposure: Keep only the assets you intend to trade on hot software wallets; store long-term holdings in cold storage.
- Document policies: Maintain written custody and access control policies for teams and auditors.
For organizations, adopting hardware wallets is a step toward formalizing crypto custody. It enables clearer internal controls and reduces the single-point-of-failure risk that plagues software-only custody models.