Ledger Releases Physical Key to Recover Access to Wallet
Date: 2025-06-25 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: BUSINESS
Ledger, a well-known manufacturer of hardware crypto wallets, has introduced a new product — Recovery Key. This is a physical key designed to restore access to Stax and Flex wallet models. To use the new device, the user needs to bring it to the wallet and enter the PIN code. Data is exchanged via a secure NFC channel.
The Recovery Key can act as an additional security element or as a replacement for the standard 24-word seed phrase. However, its activation is possible only after confirmation on the main device. The new product works completely offline, does not connect to the Internet and does not transfer data to third parties, which emphasizes its compliance with the principles of cold storage.
According to Ian Rogers, head of customer service at Ledger, the company strives to provide users with more flexibility without compromising security. He noted that a significant number of cryptocurrency holders still rely on exchanges and software wallets, which are considered less reliable.
The source code of the device and technical details are already available for review. Sales are expected to begin soon. It is important to emphasize that the use of the Recovery Key is voluntary - it is not a mandatory element of the Ledger ecosystem.
Recovery Key can also be used together with the paid Ledger Recover service. This service attracted criticism from the crypto community after its announcement in 2023. It involves splitting the seed phrase into three encrypted parts and transferring them for storage to third-party partner companies. Despite the fact that connection to the service is voluntary, users expressed concern about the possibility of third parties accessing their private keys, which is contrary to the principles of cold storage.
After a wave of indignation, Ledger even suspended the implementation of this function. The company's CEO Pascal Gauthier then admitted that government agencies can actually access the keys of users connected to Ledger Recover through the courts.
In response to criticism, the company published the source code and technical documentation of the service so that anyone could check how exactly the key recovery system works.
Thus, with the release of Recovery Key, Ledger takes a step towards users, offering a new level of autonomy and security in managing digital assets.
