Ledger Start — Securely Onboard to Self-Custody

A practical, no-nonsense onboarding path for Ledger device users: authenticate your device, create and defend your seed, verify firmware, connect safely, and practice confident transactions.

Start with confidence

Ledger Start is your first step to owning and protecting digital assets with clarity, control, and uncompromising security. Whether this is your first crypto wallet or you’re returning to self-custody, Ledger Start presents a straightforward path from unboxing to routine secure usage — without the friction, jargon, or false promises.

Why Ledger Start matters

Self-custody changes the rules: ownership shifts from third-party platforms to you. That freedom brings responsibility. Ledger Start puts practical tools, clear explanations, and step-by-step onboarding into one concise experience so you can focus on securing your funds and understanding recovery and backup tradeoffs for long-term ownership.

What you’ll get

Ledger Start walks you through connecting your Ledger device, creating a fresh seed phrase offline, verifying firmware, and rehearsing recovery. It teaches practical backup planning, safe connection patterns to apps and marketplaces, and how to verify addresses and transactions on-device so you approve only what you intended.

A friendly, step-by-step start

  1. Unbox and authenticate. Follow the on-screen checks and use device attestation; never accept unsolicited setup help.
  2. Generate and protect your seed. Learn why you must never store it online and how to record it on durable media.
  3. Verify firmware and apps. Firmware integrity keeps private keys isolated — update and verify on-device.
  4. Connect apps safely. Connect only to official sources and verify interactions on your device.
  5. Practice sending and receiving. Start with a tiny transaction and verify every address on-device.

Safety by design

Security isn’t optional — it’s the architecture. Ledger Start emphasizes hardware isolation, minimal attack surface, transparent recovery workflows, and user verification steps that cannot be bypassed. The repeated pattern is simple: update, verify, backup, and practice.

Real-world scenarios

Whether you lose a device, face a phishing attempt, or plan inheritance and long-term storage, Ledger Start provides clear, actionable steps. It covers recovery with a replacement device, spotting social engineering, and strategies for handing access to trusted heirs without compromising your seed.

Integrations, enterprise and support

Ledger Start connects safely to wallets, DeFi interfaces, NFT marketplaces and multisig setups, describing device verification for each. Advanced guidance outlines multi-user signing and air-gapped key ceremonies for institutions. If you need help, you’re directed to verified support channels, community guides, and concise recovery playbooks.

Quick checklist

• Authenticate device on first power-up.
• Create seed offline and record it on durable medium.
• Verify firmware before transferring funds.
• Test with a small transaction.
• Establish backups and a recovery plan.

Ready to begin

Start small and learn deliberately. Ledger Start is the map; your discipline is the compass. Take a few minutes now to follow the setup checklist and complete a test transaction — confidence grows from practice. With Ledger Start, the complicated parts of custody become routine and secure ownership becomes repeatable.