Ledger.com/Start® | Getting started — Ledger Support

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— 3 min read

Ledger.com/start is not merely a download page; it is the foundational gateway to establishing true digital asset sovereignty. Unlike exchanges or software wallets where third parties control your keys, initializing a Ledger® device via this official portal ensures you generate and store your cryptographic secrets in a certified, offline environment from the very first second. This process fundamentally redefines access from a simple web-based "Trezor Login"-style interface to a physical, user-verified security model, setting the standard for personal crypto security.

Phase 1: The Prerequisite—Ensuring an Authentic Start

The utmost danger in crypto is counterfeit software. Your entire security fortress is compromised if built on fraudulent foundations.

  1. Access the Authentic Portal: Manually type https://www.ledger.com/start into your browser. Never follow links from emails, social media, or search engines, as these are common vectors for phishing sites designed to steal your recovery phrase.
  2. Download Ledger Live: Ledger Live is the mandatory, secure bridge between your offline device and the blockchain. Download it directly from this page for your specific OS (Windows, macOS, Linux). This application will never ask for your 24-word recovery phrase.
  3. The "Genuine Check" Imperative: Upon first connection, Ledger Live performs a cryptographic attestation to verify your hardware wallet is authentic and unmodified. This is a non-negotiable step that software interfaces or a standard Trezor login cannot provide, ensuring the chip itself is a genuine Ledger® secure element.

Phase 2: The Ritual of Creation—Building Your Offline Vault

This is the core ritual of self-custody, where you create your un-hackable, offline identity.

  1. Initialize Your Device: Connect your Ledger Nano and select "Configure as new device." Choose a PIN code of 4 to 8 digits that is not used elsewhere. This PIN protects the physical device.
  2. Sacred Documentation of the Recovery Phrase: Your device will generate a unique, random 24-word recovery phrase. This is your private key in human-readable form.
    • Action: Write each word sequentially on the provided, non-digital Recovery Sheet.
    • Absolute Rules: Never digitize it. No photos, no cloud storage, no typing. Its security depends on its physical isolation.
  3. Verification: Confirm the phrase by correctly selecting words when prompted by the device. This step ensures accurate recording. The security model of Ledger® is such that if the device is lost, this phrase—and only this phrase—can restore all your assets on a new device.

Phase 3: Operational Security—Managing Assets with Confidence

With your vault created, learn to operate it without compromising its integrity.

  1. Install Blockchain Apps: Navigate to "My Ledger" in Ledger Live. Here, install small apps (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) onto your device. These allow it to interpret different blockchains. Your keys remain safely offline during this installation.
  2. Create Accounts: Click "Add account" in Ledger Live to generate public addresses for each cryptocurrency. The software derives these addresses from your public keys. You can safely receive funds to these addresses at any time.
  3. The Gold Standard for Transactions:
    • To Receive: Share your public address from Ledger Live.
    • To Send: This is where Ledger's model shines. You broadcast a transaction intent via Ledger Live. The transaction details are sent to the device for signing. You must physically verify and confirm the recipient address and amount on the device's own screen. Only then does the isolated secure element sign it. This "two-button approval" process, central to using Ledger®, ensures that even a malware-infected computer cannot alter or forge a transaction—a definitive security upgrade over confirming a transaction solely on a computer screen via other login methods.

Conclusion: Beyond Login, Towards Sovereignty

Using ledger.com/start to set up your Ledger® device moves you far beyond the paradigm of a basic "Trezor Login" or software wallet interface. It initiates you into a system where security is anchored in a physical object and a handwritten phrase, entirely separate from the digital world's threats. You are not just logging in; you are personally authorizing actions from a realm of air-gapped safety. This process establishes you as your own bank, with all the responsibility and unparalleled security that entails.

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