This article describes how to create your first Monero (XMR) account with your Ledger device and the Monero GUI.
The Ledger Monero app is developed in collaboration with the Monero community. The Monero GUI is developed and supported by the Monero community.
Can I create a Monero account with Ledger Live?
- No, unfortunately, Ledger Live does not support creating Monero accounts for the moment.
- Instead, you can safely create a Ledger Monero account with your Ledger device and the Monero GUI. More on this below.
Before you start
- Set up Ledger Live with your device.
- Update the firmware of your Ledger Nano S / Nano S Plus / Nano X.
Monero privacy
Monero shields transaction addresses and amounts using a pair of private keys:
- The private view key can only be used to view the transactions of the account it belongs to.
- The private spend key is required to spend the XMR in the account it belongs to. This key remains on your Ledger device.
Step by step
- Open My Ledger in Ledger Live.
- Connect and unlock your Ledger device.
- If asked, allow My Ledger on your device.
- Find Monero in the app catalog.
- Click the Install button of the app.
- An installation window appears.
- Your device will display Processing...
- The app installation is confirmed.
Make sure you close Ledger Live once the app is successfully installed on your device.
- Download the Monero GUI for your platform.
- Extract the package you've just downloaded.
- Open the monero-gui-v0.xx folder.
- (optional) Move the monero-wallet-gui file to your applications folder.
- Launch the Monero wallet by opening monero-wallet-gui.
On Windows: Click Allow access so the firewall does not block the Monero wallet.
- Choose your language.
- Unlock your Ledger device and open the Monero app.
- Select a mode:
- Simple mode: The GUI wallet will automatically connect to a remote node and have a simple interface. This mode excludes the need for the blockchain sync so you can immediately use the wallet. However, it weakens your privacy as the remote node will be able to see your IP address and associate your transactions with your IP address. Using a remote node does not contribute to the strength and decentralization of the network.
- Simple mode (bootstrap): The wallet automatically connects to a remote node whilst syncing your own local node in the background. The wallet will switch to your own node once it is fully synced. This allows you to immediately use the wallet while still eventually using your own node. (which is optimal for privacy and contributes to the strength and decentralization of the network). Additionally, this mode has a simple interface as well. This mode is the default and is thus recommended by the developers for new users.
- Advanced mode: Download and validate the full blockchain. This offers the optimal level of privacy and contributes to the strength of the Monero network. This requires at least 90 GB of disk space, and initial synchronization may take several days. You won't be able to properly use your wallet until the initial blockchain sync has been completed.
- Click Create a new wallet from hardware in the Monero wallet.
- Enter a wallet name, make sure Create a new wallet from device is selected and choose Ledger in the Choose your hardware device dropdown
- On your Ledger device, choose whether to export the private view key to your computer:
- Approving view key export enables your computer to identify your transactions. However, if your computer is compromised, your transaction privacy might be at risk.
- Rejecting view key export optimizes privacy protection since the view key remains secure on your Ledger device. However, identifying your transactions will be slower.
You may have to press the device button twice, then wait for your addresses to be generated.
- Enter and confirm an optional password. This password is not needed to recover the Ledger Monero wallet. Continue to the next page.
- If you've selected Advanced mode, you can now configure your (remote) node settings. On the last page, you can review your configuration summary before you open your wallet.
Unlock your Ledger device and open the Monero app before starting the Monero wallet.
- Open the Receive tab. Here you'll find your primary address and generated subaddresses.
- Select your primary address for an optimal level of security.
- Choose how to receive:
- Share your address: Click the clipboard icon to copy the address. Then share it with the sender, while verifying that the pasted address matches the one that's scrolling on your device.
- Provide a payment request: In the Advanced options, enter an amount and optionally enable tracking of the payment request. Right-click the payment request QR code to save and share it.
Unlock your Ledger device and open the Monero app before starting the Monero wallet.
- Open the Send tab.
- Enter the amount to send and choose a transaction priority. A higher priority costs a higher network fee.
- Enter the address to send to. The optional payment ID may be required if sending to an exchange.
- Enter an optional description, only visible to you.
- Click Send. Wait while the transaction is created and sent to your Ledger device for confirmation.
- Verify all transaction details shown on your device:
- Approve the fee displayed on your device by validating Accept fee.
- Verify the Amount and Destination address by pressing the right button multiple times. If everything is correct, confirm the transaction by validating Accept TX. Validate Reject TX to cancel.
- Finally, review the transaction summary on the Monero wallet and click OK to send it.
The 24-word recovery phrase of your Ledger device is a backup of your private keys, including those for Monero. You can restore your 24-word recovery phrase on any Ledger hardware wallet, install the Monero app and manage your coins.
In case you need emergency access to your Monero without having access to a hardware wallet, you can restore your wallet as a Monero software wallet with 25 recovery words following the Electrum seed format. Please find instructions to convert your 24-word recovery seed to a 25-word Electrum recovery seed here.
Next steps
Need help?
- Read the Monero-GUI-guide provided with the wallet and check the Monero website.
- Connect with the Monero Reddit community for troubleshooting and more.
- Please report bugs and suggestions to the Monero developers on GitHub.
Monero accounts cannot be added to Ledger Live.