Ledger Live SAS: the companion app for Ledger hardware wallets

Ledger Live SAS is the official desktop and mobile application used to manage cryptocurrency held on Ledger hardware wallets. It gives owners a single place to buy, sell, swap, stake, receive, and send digital assets while the secret keys that authorize those transactions never leave the physical Ledger device. In short, Ledger Live SAS is the window you look through, and the hardware wallet is the vault that actually signs.

This page explains what Ledger Live SAS does, how it fits together with a Ledger device, the security thinking behind it, and how a newcomer can begin using Ledger Live SAS safely. Wherever a claim touches security, treat it as guidance rather than a guarantee, and always confirm details in the app itself before moving funds.

What Ledger Live SAS is

Ledger Live SAS is a self-custody wallet interface published by Ledger, the company known for its Nano hardware wallets. Rather than storing your crypto for you the way an exchange does, Ledger Live SAS helps you interact with a blockchain while your keys stay under your own control. When people say they manage their portfolio in Ledger Live SAS, they mean they view balances, read transaction history, and initiate operations that the connected hardware device must approve.

It is important to be precise about what Ledger Live SAS is and is not. Ledger Live SAS is software. It does not hold your coins, and it cannot recover your funds on its own. The actual custody lives with your private keys, which are generated and protected inside the hardware wallet. Ledger Live SAS simply builds transactions, broadcasts them to the network once signed, and reads public blockchain data back to you in a readable form.

Ledger Live SAS is available as a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and as a mobile application for iOS and Android. The two versions share the same account structure, so a portfolio set up on one can be reconstructed on the other using the same device and recovery phrase. Many people run Ledger Live SAS on their laptop for larger operations and keep the mobile Ledger Live SAS app for checking balances on the go.

Because Ledger Live SAS is the connective tissue between a person and their assets, it is designed to be approachable. The dashboard aggregates every account into one portfolio view, shows a value graph, and lists recent activity. Underneath that friendly surface, Ledger Live SAS coordinates several apps installed on the hardware device, one per blockchain family, so that each asset is managed with the correct signing logic.

How Ledger Live SAS works with a device

The relationship between Ledger Live SAS and a hardware wallet is deliberately split. Ledger Live SAS handles everything that can safely happen on an internet-connected computer: displaying prices, drafting a transaction, and sending the finished transaction out to the network. The device handles the one thing that must stay offline, which is holding the private key and producing a cryptographic signature.

When you want to send crypto, Ledger Live SAS prepares the transaction details and passes them to the connected Ledger over USB or Bluetooth. The device shows the destination address and amount on its own small screen. You physically confirm on the device, the signature is created inside the secure chip, and only that signature returns to Ledger Live SAS. Ledger Live SAS then broadcasts it. At no point does the secret key travel to your computer or to Ledger's servers.

This is why the on-device screen matters so much. Even if malware tampered with what Ledger Live SAS displays, the independent screen on the hardware wallet lets you verify the true details before approving. Ledger Live SAS is built to encourage that habit, prompting you to check the device rather than trusting the software blindly. Treating the device screen as the source of truth is the single most valuable habit a Ledger Live SAS user can develop.

For accounts and balances, Ledger Live SAS queries public blockchain nodes and indexers. It derives your public addresses from the extended public key exported by the device, then looks up their history. This lets Ledger Live SAS rebuild a complete portfolio without ever needing the private keys, which is exactly why you can reinstall Ledger Live SAS on a new machine and see your funds again after reconnecting the same device.

Core features of Ledger Live SAS

Ledger Live SAS bundles a set of everyday functions into one place so that owners rarely need to leave the app. The following are the pillars most people rely on when working inside Ledger Live SAS.

Portfolio and accounts

The main dashboard in Ledger Live SAS shows total value, a performance graph, and a breakdown by asset. You can create multiple accounts within the same coin, name them, and track them independently. Ledger Live SAS keeps this view current by refreshing balances from the network each time it opens.

Send and receive

Sending in Ledger Live SAS means building a transaction, choosing a network fee, and confirming on the device. Receiving means generating an address in Ledger Live SAS and, critically, verifying that same address on the hardware screen before sharing it. Ledger Live SAS guides both flows with clear prompts.

Buy, sell, and swap

Through integrated third-party providers, Ledger Live SAS lets you buy crypto with fiat, sell back to fiat, or swap one asset for another without those coins ever landing on a custodial exchange. Ledger Live SAS surfaces these services inside the app, though the providers themselves handle payment and compliance.

Staking and rewards

For proof-of-stake networks, Ledger Live SAS offers native staking on supported assets so holders can earn rewards while keeping custody. You delegate directly from Ledger Live SAS, and every staking action is still confirmed on the device.

The discover section and Web3

Ledger Live SAS includes a discover area that connects to selected decentralized applications and services. It lets you view NFTs, explore DeFi options, and access partner tools while the device continues to sign every action. This turns Ledger Live SAS into a modest hub rather than a pure balance viewer.

The security model behind Ledger Live SAS

Security is the reason Ledger Live SAS exists in the form it does. The core principle is separation: keep secrets offline in tamper-resistant hardware, and let the online software do only what does not require those secrets. Ledger Live SAS is engineered around that boundary.

Private keys are generated inside the device from a recovery phrase, usually 24 words, that is displayed once during setup. That phrase is the ultimate backup. Ledger Live SAS never asks you to type it into the app, and it should never be entered into any website or computer. Anyone who genuinely understands Ledger Live SAS knows that a request to type your recovery phrase into software is a red flag for a scam.

Genuine transactions are verified twice: once in Ledger Live SAS on the larger screen, and again on the device where it counts. If the two disagree, trust the device. Ledger Live SAS is also signed and updated through official channels, so downloading Ledger Live SAS only from Ledger's official source protects you from tampered copies circulated by attackers.

Phishing is the practical threat most Ledger Live SAS users face, not chip-level attacks. Fake emails, cloned websites, and imposter support chats try to lure people into revealing their recovery phrase or approving a malicious transaction. Ledger Live SAS itself will never ask for that phrase, and legitimate Ledger communications will not either. Slowing down and confirming everything on the device is the defense.

Ledger Live SAS compared to other approaches

To understand where Ledger Live SAS sits, it helps to see it against the two common alternatives: leaving coins on an exchange, or using a software-only hot wallet. The table below summarizes the trade-offs against Ledger Live SAS.

The point of Ledger Live SAS is not that it is the only way to hold crypto, but that it lets self-custody feel as convenient as an exchange while keeping keys offline. That combination of usability and hardware protection is the value Ledger Live SAS is designed to deliver.

Assets and networks in Ledger Live SAS

Ledger Live SAS supports a broad range of blockchains and thousands of tokens across them. Major networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum are handled natively, and Ledger Live SAS adds many others through installable device apps and account types. Support grows over time as new integrations ship inside Ledger Live SAS.

Each blockchain family has its own small app that installs on the device through the manager section of Ledger Live SAS. Because device storage is limited, you install only the apps you need, and you can remove and reinstall them freely; removing an app never affects the underlying funds, since those live on the chain and depend only on your keys. Ledger Live SAS makes this add-and-remove workflow straightforward.

For tokens, Ledger Live SAS groups sub-assets under their parent chain. ERC-20 tokens, for example, appear inside an Ethereum account within Ledger Live SAS. This keeps the portfolio organized while still letting you see every individual holding. If an asset is not directly listed in Ledger Live SAS, it can sometimes be managed by connecting the device to a compatible external wallet, though most users stay within Ledger Live SAS for everyday needs.

Getting started with Ledger Live SAS

Setting up Ledger Live SAS follows a short, deliberate sequence. Take each step slowly, especially the ones involving your recovery phrase.

1. 1

   Download Ledger Live SAS only from the official Ledger source, then install it on your computer or phone. Avoiding unofficial copies is the first line of defense.

2. 2

   Connect your Ledger device and let Ledger Live SAS guide the initial setup, including creating a PIN and generating your recovery phrase on the device screen.

3. 3

   Write the recovery phrase on paper, store it offline, and never enter it into Ledger Live SAS, a website, or any keyboard. This step protects everything.

4. 4

   Use the manager in Ledger Live SAS to install the coin apps you need, then add accounts for those assets so they appear in your portfolio.

5. 5

   Send a small test amount first, verifying the address on the device, before moving larger sums through Ledger Live SAS.

Frequently asked questions