NeoBankDB

Ledger

Hardware signer for self-custody. Not a bank, and not the CL Card.

Legal entity: Ledger SAS, SIREN 529 991 119. Paris SAS. Not a bank and not an EMI.

Crypto walletactiveFrance
Go to Ledger →iOS 4.9 · 15.2K

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7.7Solid
Alternatives

Five questions

At a glance

  • Is it a bank?

    No. Ledger is not a bank. The money sits with you. Keys stay on the signer, not at Ledger SAS.

  • If it fails?

    Self-custody. No deposit scheme. The 24-word recovery phrase is the backup. Ledger cannot repay a lost phrase.

  • Salary?

    No. There is no account number and no salary rail. This file is a signer.

  • Open from abroad?

    There is no account to open. Ledger Shop ships the signer, and shipping is country-gated on the shop. An App Store listing is not banking onboarding.

  • Monthly fee

    App is free. The signer is a purchase.

  • Account number

    None. No IBAN, no sort code, no account number.

NeoBankDB Verdict

Licence first · score second

7.7

/10 · Solid

A hardware signer, not a bank and not a card. Buy it from Ledger Shop. The recovery phrase is the risk this file cannot insure.

What it is

Ledger SAS (SIREN 529 991 119) has been on the French register since 1 January 2011, siège 106 rue du Temple, 75003 Paris, président Pascal Gauthier since 4 October 2017. Share capital is €1,635,503.74. APE is 6201Z (programming); the 2025 NAF code on the register also lists computer-equipment manufacture. It is not a bank, not an EMI, and not a deposit-taker. The homepage claim of 8 million-plus signers sold is company copy, checked 3 October 2026, not a regulator statistic. INSEE’s 2023 staff band is 500–999. Ledger Wallet (US App Store 4.9 from 15,179 ratings, checked 3 October 2026) is the app, formerly Ledger Live. Coins are controlled by the signer you hold. Éric Larchevêque is named as co-founder in Ledger’s own 23 May 2023 Recover note.

Best for: People moving coins off an exchange who will write down 24 words and check the device screen.

Last checked 2026-10-03. Not advice.

What it does well

  • +Keys stay on the signer, not in the phone app
  • +Ledger SAS is a registered French company, SIREN 529 991 119
  • +The device screen is the check before a send

What to watch

  • −The 2020 e-commerce breach still feeds phishing mail
  • −A lost 24-word phrase is not a support ticket Ledger can reverse
  • −CL Card is Baanx, not a Ledger account

Legal entity, not the app icon

Who is behind it

Legal name
Ledger SAS, SIREN 529 991 119. Paris SAS. Not a bank and not an EMI.
Founders
Pascal Gauthier, président of Ledger SAS since 4 October 2017 (INPI). Éric Larchevêque is named as co-founder in Ledger’s 23 May 2023 Recover note.
Offices
Registered office: 106 rue du Temple, 75003 Paris. The seat at this address dates from 30 June 2024 (INSEE). Staff band 500–999 is the 2023 INSEE figure. A LinkedIn street is not the legal seat.
If something goes wrong
No deposit ombudsman. A lost recovery phrase is not a claim. Device and shop issues go to Ledger support. CL Card issues go to Baanx at support@cl-cards.com, not to Ledger.

Who holds the money

The account

IBAN country
None. No IBAN, no sort code, no account number.
Support
Ledger help centre. Ledger says it will never ask for the 24 words of the recovery phrase.
Hours
Ticket support through the help centre. Not a branch.
Remote open
There is no account to open. Ledger Shop ships the signer, and shipping is country-gated on the shop. An App Store listing is not banking onboarding.
Onboarding
Unbox a signer from Ledger, install Ledger Wallet (formerly Ledger Live), write the 24 words on paper, then confirm every receive address on the device screen.
KYC documents
None to hold coins on the signer. Buy and swap partners inside the app run their own checks.
Minimum age
The signer is hardware. Buy, swap, and stake inside Ledger Wallet are third-party services with their own age and country rules.
Languages
Ledger Wallet ships in several languages. The recovery phrase is 24 words.
Salary / payroll
No. There is no account number and no salary rail. This file is a signer.
Local rails
On-chain receive addresses only. Not a bank transfer rail.
ATM network
None.
Overdraft
None. No credit line on the signer.

How money actually moves

Who holds the cash
Bank balance
How money moves
UPI / INR · ACH / USD · Faster Payments
Built for
Personal
Settlement
App-ledger instant; bank rails per corridor
Freeze risk
Bank-grade; still not freeze-proof
Card
Ledger has no card listed on this file.

Licence first

Safety

Self-custody. No deposit scheme. The 24-word recovery phrase is the backup. Ledger cannot repay a lost phrase.

Who holds the money: you. Keys stay on the signer, not at Ledger SAS

  • INPI / INSEE — company register, not a financial licenceNot a bank. French SAS that sells signers. · France · SIREN 529 991 119

Fees

Monthly
App is free. The signer is a purchase.
FX markup
Buy, swap, and stake in the app are third-party services. Ledger is not the spread.
ATM
N/A

Features

  • –IBAN
  • ✓Fee-free core
  • ✓Multi-currency
  • –Apple Pay
  • –Google Pay
  • –Virtual card
  • –Physical card
  • –Metal card
  • –Crypto
  • –Stocks
  • –Business
  • –Kids
  • –Halal
  • Secure-element signer (keys stay on the device)
  • Ledger Wallet app, formerly Ledger Live
  • Clear Signing on the device screen
  • Buy, swap, and stake via third parties
  • Optional Ledger Recover and Recovery Key

Editorial, not a live demo

Screenshots and video

Official YouTube · Ledger

Media is editorial context, not a live demo of the app. Screenshots go stale — read the licence first.

Before you tap Sign up

How to open

  1. Step 1

    Buy the signer from Ledger

    Use Ledger Shop. A used device from a stranger is a bad start. Shop prices checked 3 October 2026, in USD: Nano S Plus $69, Nano X $99, Nano Gen5 $179, Flex $249, Stax $399. Prices move.

  2. Step 2

    Write the 24 words offline

    Set the device up in Ledger Wallet. Write the recovery phrase on the sheet and keep it offline. Ledger’s help centre says it never asks for those words. Anyone who does is not Ledger.

  3. Step 3

    Read the address on the device

    Before you send coins, confirm the address on the signer screen. The phone app is not the key. Optional Ledger Recover is a paid, ID-based backup. It is not deposit insurance.

Official help: support.ledger.com

Operator documents

Their own papers

These are the operator’s documents. They outrank this review if they disagree.

Score

Safety25%
8.2
Fees20%
7.4
Features15%
7.6
App15%
7.8
Global15%
8.0
Support10%
6.2

Change log

Full log

No dated notes yet. When the licence, fees, or status moves, it lands here.

Straight answers

FAQ

01

Is Ledger a bank?

No. Ledger SAS is a French hardware company, SIREN 529 991 119. It does not take deposits, it does not issue an IBAN, and it is not an EMI.

02

What if I lose the Ledger device?

Buy another signer and restore with the 24-word recovery phrase. Ledger’s Recover FAQ says you are responsible for that phrase, and the company cannot show it to you again.

03

Is the CL Card a Ledger account?

No. Ledger’s support page, updated 1 October 2026, says CL Card is provided by Baanx and to write to support@cl-cards.com. This file is the signer, not that card.

04

Where does the shop link on this file go?

The Open button uses NeoBankDB’s hop at /go/ledger. The destination is Ledger Shop’s Refer a Friend URL with referral code 0DC6B2C5GHT8D, not Ledger’s separate ?r= affiliate programme. Ledger’s FAQ says a referral link is valid for 7 days after you receive it, and the purchase has to finish in that same session. Reward rules, including up to $20 in bitcoin and a $1,000 yearly cap, are Ledger’s, not ours.

05

Did Ledger have a data breach?

Yes, of customer contact data, not of keys on the chip. Ledger’s 29 July 2020 note says an unauthorised party reached the e-commerce database, mostly email addresses. The help-centre FAQ, updated 20 May 2026, also covers a later dump and a Shopify merchant incident.

06

Do the country chips mean Ledger ships there?

No. Those chips are a short sample of where people use the signer. Ledger Shop decides shipping. The list is not a licence map and not a promise of delivery.

Ratings and reviews

No published user reviews yet. The NeoBankDB score still comes from licence, fees, and the product — not from an empty star average.

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Used Ledger?

Stars plus a short note. We publish after a NeoBankDB read. “Verified user” is our tick, not yours.

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