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Polkadot (DOT)

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This article will help you set up your first Ledger Polkadot (DOT) account.

 'Txn version not supported' error

This error signifies that your Polkadot (DOT) app is currently out of date. To continue using your account as usual, please connect your Ledger device to MyLedger via Ledger Live, and proceed to update the Polkadot (DOT) app to the latest version.

 Important notice regarding crowdloans

  • Crowdloans on the Polkadot network were launched on November 5th, 2021. The auctions for the slots of the first phase started on November 11th, 2021. Learn more.
  • Users will not able to participate in the crowdloans with their Ledger devices.
  • The module to participate in crowdloan currently is not supported by the Kusama and the Polkadot Ledger apps. As the result, the users who will try to participate in the crowdloans with their Ledger devices will get an error message stating “not supported”. Learn more

Before you start

  • Download and install Ledger Live on your computer. You can learn more about how to get started with Ledger Live here.
  • Open Ledger Live, connect your Ledger device to My Ledger and make sure your device is running the latest firmware version.
  • Update the firmware of your Ledger Nano S / Nano S Plus / Nano X.

Install the Polkadot (DOT) app on your Ledger device

I am a Ledger Nano X or Nano S Plus user
  1. Open Ledger Live and navigate to the My Ledger  tab.
  2. Connect and unlock your Ledger device.
  3. If asked, allow My Ledger on your device.
  4. Search for the Polkadot app in the app catalog.
  5. Click the Install button of the app.
    After a short moment, the word Installed appears in Ledger Live, confirming the installation is successful.



      The Polkadot app is developed and supported by the Polkadot community.
I am a Ledger Nano S user

For the Ledger Nano S, two versions of the Polkadot app are available:

POLKADOT.png
  The Polkadot app is developed and supported by the Polkadot community.

  • Polkadot (DOT): the Polkadot app allows you to send and receive DOT, bond and unbond DOT, and nominate validators. This app supports all the Polkadot features in Ledger Live and the most common features in Polkadot.js such as claiming rewards, tracking pending rewards, changing the rewards destination, etc. As of April 7th, 2021, the Polkadot app size is 46 Kb but is subject to modification. The list of possible errors due to the limitations of this app is presented here.
  • Polkadot XL (DOT): the Polkadot XL app is recommended for advanced users. Besides the Polkadot features in Ledger Live, this app also supports advanced features in Polkadot.js such as voting, bounty program, validator settings, etc. As of April 7th, 2021, the Polkadot app size is 144 Kb but is subject to modification.

Depending on your needs, follow the steps below to install the Polkadot app of your choice.

Polkadot (DOT) Polkadot XL (DOT)
  1. Open Ledger Live and navigate to the My Ledger tab.
  2. Connect and unlock your Ledger device.
  3. If asked, allow My Ledger to access your device.
  4. Find Polkadot in the app catalog.
  5. Click the Install button of the app.
    • Your device will display Loading please wait... 
    • Ledger Live displays Installed.

Create a Polkadot (DOT) account in Ledger Live

  1. Open Ledger Live and navigate to the Accounts tab.
  2. Click the Add account button.
  3. Type or click the drop-down list to select Polkadot. Then click Continue.
  4. Connect and unlock your device. Then open the Polkadot app on your device.
    Ledger Live will look for existing accounts in the blockchain. These are then displayed one by one.
  5. In the Accounts step, different sections can appear:
    • In the Add existing accounts section, tick the existing account you want to add.
    • In the Add new account section, tick to add a new account.
    • The Accounts already in Portfolio section lists the accounts that are already in Portfolio and thus can not be added.
  6. Click Add account

You have successfully added a Polkadot account to the Portfolio.

Importing Polkadot accounts from Polkadot.js

Ledger Live uses the following derivation path: m/44'/354'/account'/0'/0'. It means that Ledger Live currently only detects accounts from Polkadot.js with the following address index: Address index 0.

polkadotjs.png

Note that transactions received on an account beyond the gap limit are not detected. Ledger Live will scan 11 accounts from the last address used.

Sending and Receiving DOT

You can now send and receive DOT. A Polkadot account must have a minimum balance requirement of 1 DOT, as defined by the Polkadot protocol. Simply send a minimum of 1 DOT to your new account to activate it.

To learn how to send and receive in Ledger Live, please refer to the following general articles:

 Some transactions are missing from my Polkadot account

If some of your Polkadot (DOT) transactions are not appearing in your Ledger Live transaction history, this may be due to a synchronization issue. Attempt clearing the cache in Ledger Live to resolve this issue. Should the problem continue, cross-verify the transaction on a block explorer such as subscan.io. If the transaction and balance appear accurate on subscan.io, it's likely that the transaction type isn't detected by Ledger Live, causing it to be omitted from your history. Please note, Ledger Live is not able to detect certain transaction types, such as 'Transfer_allow_death' or 'Batch_all'.




To view these transactions, you'll need to use subscan.io or connect your Ledger to a third-party wallet such as polkadot.js.

Polkadot fees

When making a Polkadot transaction, network fees are calculated by the Polkadot protocol. As of March 3rd, 2021, a simple transaction costs approximately 0.020 DOT.

Note that Polkadot doesn’t allow you to increase the network fees to speed up transactions. 

Next steps

  • Get Polkadot rewards by bonding your DOT. Learn more.
  • Buy DOT directly into your Ledger Polkadot account through Ledger Live. Learn more here.
  • Learn more about DOT and the Polkadot network here.

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