Official Site® | Ledger.com/Start® - Getting started

A colorful presentation-style getting-started page — formatted for clarity, accessibility, and visual impact.

Welcome — Quick start

This page is crafted as an attractive, readable presentation for guiding new users through setup and essential concepts. It uses mixed color accents and a soft dark background for focus.

Getting started — Steps

1
Unbox & Inspect
Confirm packaging integrity and authenticity stickers.
2
Power & Connect
Connect to a trusted device and open the official start URL.
3
Create a PIN
Choose a strong PIN and store it separately from your recovery phrase.
4
Record Recovery Phrase
Write down the recovery words on the provided card. Keep offline.

Presentation content (expanded)

This section contains explanatory content written to be clear and friendly. Below you will find an extended narrative that explains each step and background concepts in approachable language. It blends technical accuracy and plain-English guidance.

Why security matters

Security for digital assets centers on two pillars: private key safety and phishing awareness. Your hardware device stores private keys offline so that signing transactions never exposes them to the network. This paradigm dramatically reduces attack surface, but user practices still matter — for example, never reveal your recovery phrase to anyone, and verify websites carefully before entering sensitive details.

Common pitfalls

  • Copying your recovery phrase to a cloud note — avoid cloud storage.
  • Using unofficial companion apps or plugins — always use the official site and apps.
  • Ignoring firmware updates — updates can patch critical vulnerabilities.

Maintenance & updates

Periodically check for firmware updates through official channels. Keep your companion applications updated and make sure your operating environment (OS, browser) is reasonably current. If you suspect compromise, move assets using a secure process and a new device/seed phrase.

Glossary & new words

Below are short definitions and several coined, helpful terms designed to make retention easier.

Private key
The secret data used to sign transactions; must remain secret.
Recovery phrase
A human-readable list of words that encodes your wallet's seed; the master backup.
Seedguard
(new word) — a physical item or method used to guard recovery seeds (for example, a metal plate designed to resist fire and water).
Phishproof
(new word) — an adjective describing an environment or workflow hardened against phishing (example: "phishproof login flow").
Keyshadow
(new word) — a transient, single-use signing token generated for low-risk operations where the real private key remains offline.

The remainder of this article intentionally expands on these definitions with examples, scenarios, and suggested best practices; content is formatted for easy reading and for conversion into slides if desired.

Long-form illustrative narrative

Imagine Alice receives her Ledger device. She unboxes it, checks authenticity, then connects it to her laptop. She sets a PIN and is presented with a recovery phrase. Choosing a quiet, offline place, Alice copies the phrase onto the supplied recovery card and places the card in a fireproof safe. She subsequently learns to verify URLs, to keep software patched, and to use a separate, dedicated machine for high-value transactions. Over time, this routine becomes muscle memory and decreases the chance of accidental loss.

Many users ask: "What if I lose my recovery phrase?" The practical answer is that without the recovery phrase (or private keys), access to funds is typically unrecoverable. This is why redundancy and physical protection are essential. Consider multiple secure copies stored in geographically separate locations using tamper-evident envelopes, or using a trust or professional custody solution for high-value holdings.

More words: Extended content & exercises

Below are classroom-style exercises, sample checklists, and suggested language for internal documentation or onboarding slides.

Checklist: Unboxing

  1. Inspect packaging for tamper evidence.
  2. Confirm device model and serial number against the included paperwork.
  3. Visit the official start URL and verify TLS certificate and domain spelling.

Onboarding script (short)

Use this script when teaching new users: "Welcome — today you'll learn how to safely unbox and set up your device. We'll set a PIN, record a recovery phrase, and verify a small test transaction. By the end you'll understand how to keep your keys secure and what to do if something goes wrong."

Exercises (practice)

Perform a dry-run: create a low-value wallet, send a tiny test amount, and practice using the recovery phrase to restore the wallet on a second device. This will build confidence without exposing large sums.

Creative vocabulary — mnemonic aids

To help users remember steps, use small rhymes or alliteration such as: "Unbox, Unlock, Unchain" or "Check, Connect, Capture". These short cues can anchor the sequence of actions in users' memory.

Concluding guidance

Adopting good security practices at the beginning prevents grief later. Encourage users to treat their recovery phrase as the single most sensitive object in their digital life and to create a routine that treats it with respect: record, protect, and periodically review.

Tip: Consider using hardware-encrypted seed plates (seedguards) and storing backups separately. For organizations, capture a clear policy for seed custody and incident response.
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