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by · May 24, 2023

The Risks and Benefits of Crypto Services Accessing Crypto Keys: A Closer Look at Ledger’s Approach

In a recent update, the CEO and CTO of Ledger, a leading hardware wallet vendor, announced the postponement of a controversial firmware update. Alongside this announcement, they outlined their plans to open source Ledger Recover, publish a whitepaper and make the service auditable. In addition, Ledger intends to gradually open source most of its operating system (OS). This blog post delves into the risks associated with crypto services having access to crypto keys, while highlighting the pros and cons of Ledger’s approach.

Importance of Ledger Recover: Ledger’s CEO, Pascal Gauthier, emphasizes the need for a service like Ledger Recover, which aims to solve the issue of seed recovery. The company’s mission is to make crypto safe and easy to use, and ensure that individuals can maintain self-custody and sovereignty over their digital assets. Gauthier acknowledges the inadvertent miscommunication that caused confusion among customers and expresses the company’s commitment to learn from this experience.

The advantages of Ledger’s approach:

  1. Security first: Ledger has established itself as a recognized hardware wallet supplier, and prioritizes the security of users’ private keys. The company has a decade of experience and is the only certified hardware wallet recommended by Consumer Reports. Their security team, Donjon, independently reviews firmware, hardware updates and the wider crypto ecosystem.
  2. Increased transparency: Although open source is not in itself a security feature, Ledger believes in the value of transparency. The majority of Ledger’s code base, including Ledger Nano applications and part of the operating system, is already open source. Opening up more code for review allows developers and security experts to ensure the absence of malicious intent.
  3. Accelerated Open Sourcing: Ledger is committed to accelerating its open source efforts. The company plans to open source core components of the operating system, starting with Ledger Recover. The Ledger Recover protocol will also be made open source, giving the community greater choice and control over self-storage options. This commitment is in line with Ledger’s value of transparency and aims to bring security and self-defense to a wider audience.

Cons to consider:

  1. Dependence on third-party services: Ledger Recover is powered by Coincover, introducing a potential risk of relying on a third-party service for seed phrase recovery. While Ledger emphasizes the importance of security, users must consider the implications of leaving the recovery process to an external entity.
  2. Balancing security and ease of use: Ledger’s mission to make crypto secure and easy to use requires careful consideration. Finding the right balance between ease of use and robust security measures can be a challenge. Users should consider the trade-offs and determine their preferred level of security and convenience.

Ledger’s recent announcements and their approach to addressing the risks associated with crypto services accessing crypto keys reveal their commitment to security and transparency. While Ledger Recover aims to simplify the seeding recovery process, users should weigh the pros and cons of relying on third-party services. It is critical for individuals to understand the implications and make informed decisions regarding their crypto assets’ security and self-storage. As Ledger continues to evolve, they invite the crypto community to join them on their mission to make crypto secure and easy to use, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and transparency going forward.

shout out to OKhotshot for putting this on our radar!

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