1. Ledger Support
  2. Documentation
  3. Crypto assets
  4. Polkadot (DOT)

Polkadot (DOT)

This article will help you set up your first Ledger Polkadot (DOT) account.
The Polkadot app is developed and supported by the Polkadot community. 

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 the Manager and make sure your Ledger device is running the latest firmware version.
  • If your Ledger device needs a firmware update, please follow this guide (Nano S user) or this guide (Nano X user).

Next, install the Polkadot (DOT) app on your Ledger device

I am a Ledger Nano X user
  1. Open Ledger Live and navigate to the Manager tab.
  2. Connect and unlock your Ledger device.
  3. If asked, allow the manager on your device.
  4. Search for the Polkadot app in the app catalog.
  5. Click the Install button of the app.
    • An installation window appears.
    • Your device will display Loading please wait... 
    • The app installation is confirmed.
I am a Ledger Nano S user

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

  • 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.
  • 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 Manager tab.
  2. Connect and unlock your Ledger device.
  3. If asked, allow the manager on 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.

Finally, 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:

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

Earn Polkadot rewards by bonding your DOT.

Was this article helpful?