Ledger Live Desktop lets you take full control of your crypto: manage a multi-currency portfolio, send and receive assets, stake where available, swap with best prices, and keep private keys offline — all in a single desktop app.
Private keys stay on your hardware wallet (e.g., Ledger Nano). Ledger Live Desktop acts as the management interface while signing remains offline.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs, tokens and many altcoins — manage diverse holdings in one portfolio. View balances, transactions, and asset performance in real time.
Intuitive send/receive flows, with optional swap integrations to trade tokens without exposing private keys.
Stake supported assets from the desktop app and earn rewards while keeping custody of your keys.
Protecting your cryptocurrency requires both secure custody and careful user workflows. Ledger Live Desktop is designed to make best-practice security accessible: private keys never leave the hardware device, firmware updates are signed, and all transaction signing is performed offline.
Following these steps makes it possible to securely manage your crypto portfolio on a desktop while keeping ultimate custody with a hardware device.
Download the desktop installer for your OS. Run the installer and open Ledger Live Desktop. Accept permissions required to connect your hardware device via USB or Bluetooth (if supported).
If you already have a Ledger hardware device (e.g., Ledger Nano), connect it to your computer. Ledger Live Desktop will detect the device and guide you through connecting. If you are new, initialize the device and generate a secure recovery phrase — write it down and store it offline.
Add supported accounts (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.) through the Accounts panel. Ledger Live Desktop will show balances and transaction history for each account.
Receive: share the address generated on your device. Send: create a transaction in Ledger Live Desktop, then confirm the details on the hardware device screen and approve to sign.
Use the built-in swap feature to exchange tokens. For supported assets, stake directly from the desktop app to start earning rewards while keeping keys offline.
Ledger Live Desktop notifies you about firmware and app updates. Keep firmware updated and only install signed updates via the desktop app.
Below is an expanded view of the capabilities that matter when you want to securely manage your cryptocurrency from a desktop environment.
Track your portfolio with detailed balances, performance charts, and historical transactions. Export reports for tax or personal accounting. Use secure local storage for caches and never export private keys.
Every outgoing transaction is created by the desktop app but signed only on the hardware device. This is the core security model — unsigned transaction data can travel over the network safely because signing requires the private keys stored offline.
If your hardware device is lost or damaged, recovery is possible only with your recovery phrase. Keep it offline and secure. Ledger Live Desktop never asks for your seed; if an app or site does, treat it as a phishing attempt.
Ledger Live Desktop minimizes network telemetry. Local device identifiers and account information remain on your machine. You always control which services you connect (swap providers, analytics, etc.).
Yes — the desktop application is typically offered free of charge. Transaction fees on networks still apply for sending and swaps.
For full security (private keys stored offline), a hardware wallet is strongly recommended. The desktop app is a management interface and achieves maximum safety when paired with a hardware device.
Always download the software from the vendor’s official website or trusted distribution channels. Verify checksums where provided and confirm URLs before installing. (This example page is a template — always follow official download guidance.)
Yes, supported assets can be staked directly from the desktop app. Staking keeps private keys on the hardware device while delegating network operations.
Losing your recovery phrase means losing the ability to restore funds if the device is lost or damaged. There is no way to recover it without the phrase — store it safely offline.