Ledger Nano X Review 2025: The Most Secure Bluetooth Wallet?

Suppose you are looking at hardware wallets in 2025. In that case, you are probably seeing the same names everywhere: the Ledger Nano X, the cheaper Nano S Plus, the touch-screen Ledger Stax, and rivals like Trezor, SafePal S1, Ellipal Titan and NGRAVE Zero. The Nano X sits right in the middle of that crowd at about $149. The question is simple: is it still the default hardware wallet for most people, or has it been overtaken?

The real decision is not “Is the Nano X good?” but “Is it good for you?" Some people should consider spending less and opt for a Nano S Plus. Some are better off going premium with a Stax or an air-gapped device. Others sit in the middle, where the Nano X’s mix of security and mobile convenience makes a lot of sense.

This review walks through that decision from every angle. We will dig into the security model, Bluetooth and USB risks, and the 2023 Connect Kit incident. We will look at real-world usability, mobile experience, battery behaviour, and how it feels to use it daily. Then we will zoom out to DeFi, NFTs and staking via the Ledger Wallet app (formerly Ledger Live), and compare the Nano X to the Nano S Plus, Stax, and major competitors.

Ledger Nano X Specs, Design and Everyday Usability

Now that the verdict is on the table, let’s walk through the device itself and what it is like to live with.

Core Specs and Build

On paper, the Ledger Nano X is a compact, metal-sleeved stick with a small screen and two physical buttons, but there is more going on under the hood.

Key specs:

• Dimensions: Roughly 72 mm x 18.6 mm x 11.75 mm
• Weight: About 34 g, so it feels solid but not heavy.
• Screen: 128 x 64 pixel OLED display, monochrome but sharp enough for addresses and prompts. 
• Connectivity: USB-C for wired use and Bluetooth 5.0 for pairing with phones. 
• Storage: Up to 100 apps installed at once, depending on app size. 
• Battery: Around 100 mAh internal battery; Ledger claims a few hours of active use and several weeks on standby. 

The construction pairs a plastic inner body with a brushed metal swivel cover. It is not indestructible like a full metal air-gapped device, but it feels far from flimsy, and the hinge keeps the screen and buttons protected in a pocket or bag.

In-Hand Feel, Buttons and Screen

In hand, the Nano X is familiar if you have used any older Ledger device. You get two physical buttons on top:

• Press either to move left or right in menus.
• Press both together to select or confirm.

It sounds basic, but the simplicity keeps the attack surface small. Once you get used to it, navigating menus becomes muscle memory: tap-tap-tap, then double-press to approve.

The screen is small yet serviceable. For Bitcoin addresses, Ethereum addresses, and standard transaction confirmations, it does the job. You scroll horizontally to check the full address, which is slightly slower than on a touch device but still workable. For complex DeFi and NFT confirmations, you will scroll more, but that is a tradeoff for keeping the display compact.

The important thing is that the device forces you to visually confirm what you are signing. You see addresses, amounts, network names and key prompts on the screen, not just in the app. That habit alone filters out a lot of scams and mis-clicks. 

Battery Life and Bluetooth in Real Use

On paper, “Bluetooth + battery” sounds like a minor upgrade. In practice, this is what separates the Nano X from the Nano S Plus for many users. 

Day-to-day battery behaviour looks like this:

• If you use the device for a few transactions each day, you can expect to charge once every couple of weeks.
• If you only use it occasionally, it can sit in a drawer for several weeks and still have enough power for a quick session.

When the battery is dead, the device does not turn into a brick. You can plug it into a laptop or phone with USB-C and use it like a wired hardware wallet. That is important because it means the battery is a convenience feature, not a hard dependency. Bluetooth itself uses end-to-end encryption and does not expose private keys over the air. The keys never leave the Secure Element, and only signed transaction data gets transmitted. Even if someone intercepted the Bluetooth traffic, they would see encrypted payloads, not your keys. 

Where Bluetooth and battery actually matter:

• Approving DeFi transactions from your phone in a café or on a trip, without needing a laptop.
• Using the Nano X as your “mobile signer” when you mostly live on iOS or Android.
• Quickly checking balances or claiming staking rewards from bed or on the move.

For heavy DeFi users who sign things every day, Bluetooth saves a lot of friction. For infrequent users who mostly sign from a desk, it becomes more of a nice-to-have.

Security Deep-Dive: How Safe Is the Ledger Nano X?

Specs are one thing. Security is the whole reason this device exists. Let’s unpack the key pieces.

Security Architecture

The Nano X uses a Secure Element chip (ST33J2M0) that has been evaluated to CC EAL5+, the same level used for banking smart cards and passports.

On top of this chip, Ledger runs its own BOLOS operating system, which isolates apps from each other and from the core key-management logic. Each app can handle a blockchain without being able to access keys or data from others. 

In practice:

• Your private keys are generated and stored inside the Secure Element. They never leave that chip.
• Transactions are signed on the device after you confirm details on the screen and with physical button presses.
• The host device (phone or computer) is treated as untrusted. Malware on your laptop could try to trick you visually, but it cannot directly extract keys from the Secure Element.

Hidden wallets and passphrase support add another layer. You can configure a second wallet that only appears when you enter a different passphrase, which means if someone forces you to unlock the device, you can reveal a decoy wallet without exposing your main holdings. 

Bluetooth and USB Security

Bluetooth is often the first thing people worry about. Ledger’s own docs and independent reviews all repeat the same point: Bluetooth is just a transport layer.

What happens under the hood:

• When you pair the Nano X with the Ledger Wallet app, the two establish an encrypted channel.
• All sensitive operations still happen inside the device. The app sends unsigned transactions for the device to display and sign.
• Even if someone could sit nearby and sniff the Bluetooth packets, they would only see encrypted data and signed messages, not your private keys.

USB works on the same principle. The host computer is not trusted, so keys never leave the Secure Element. The signed transaction is the only thing that goes back to the computer or phone. That is why hardware wallets are recommended even if your PC is already compromised. 

The 2023 Ledger Connect Kit Incident – What Actually Happened

In December 2023, a malicious update hit the Ledger Connect Kit, a JavaScript library used by many DeFi front-ends and DApps, after an attacker gained access to a former employee’s NPM account.

Short version:

• A rogue NPM package was published and briefly used by some DApps.
• The injected code tried to redirect users to a phishing site and trick them into signing malicious transactions.
• Some hot-wallet users were impacted; there were real losses.

What did not happen:

• The Ledger Nano X devices were not remotely hacked.
• The Secure Element and firmware were not broken. The attack lived in the web layer, not the hardware layer. 

Root cause and lessons:

• The root cause was a supply-chain failure in software: access control on an NPM account, not a cryptographic weakness.
• Ledger says it improved access control, monitoring and auditing practices after the incident.

Security Best Practices With Ledger Devices

No matter which hardware wallet you choose, good habits matter as much as the chip.

Key practices:

• Initialise the device yourself. Never accept a wallet that comes with a pre-printed seed phrase or pre-configured PIN.
• Buy only from official sources: The Ledger official store, or vetted resellers listed by Ledger, not random marketplace sellers or second-hand devices. 
• Write the seed phrase down by hand and keep it in a safe place; consider a metal backup plate for fire and water resistance. 
• Watch out for fake apps. Download the Ledger Wallet app only from Ledger’s site or official app stores. Fake “Ledger Live” apps have been used to steal seeds from desktop and Mac users. 
• For serious holdings, use a passphrase-protected hidden wallet so that your visible accounts are not the whole story. 

Take a look at the best practices for protecting your assets regardless of whether they are stored in a hot or cold wallet.

Ledger Wallet, DeFi, NFTs and Staking

Security is the foundation, but the everyday value of the Nano X lives in its ecosystem.

Ledger Wallet Overview: What You Can Actually Do

The Ledger Wallet crypto app (formerly Ledger Live) is the central hub.

From that single interface, you can:

• View your portfolio, balances and transaction history across multiple accounts and chains.
• Send and receive assets to and from your own addresses.
• Use integrated providers like Coinify, MoonPay, Banxa and others to buy or sell directly into your hardware wallet. 
• Access swaps and DEX integrations, often via partner services.
• Stake supported Proof-of-Stake assets and tracked rewards.
• Interact with Web3 dApps through WalletConnect, browser extensions and mobile connections.

Paired with the Ledger Nano X and Bluetooth, it turns your phone into a “command centre” for DeFi and NFTs, while the device stays offline between confirmations. 

Supported Assets: What “5,500+ Coins” Really Means

Ledger advertises support for more than 5,500 coins and tokens across the hardware lineup. That headline is accurate but needs context. 

There are two categories:

• Native support in the Ledger Wallet app: Assets like BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, LTC, DOT, ADA and many ERC-20 tokens, which you can manage end-to-end inside the Ledger Wallet interface.
• Third-party wallet integrations: Long-tail chains that use Ledger apps for signing but rely on external wallets such as MetaMask, Phantom, Keplr, Yoroi, etc.

In practice:

• If your portfolio is made of major L1S, stablecoins and popular ERC-20s, you can probably stay in the Ledger Wallet app most of the time.
• If you hold many niche chains, you will juggle external wallets, but the Nano X still signs the transactions and keeps keys offline.

This is where the 100-app capacity matters. If you actively manage many chains, the Nano X saves you from constantly uninstalling and reinstalling apps. 

Staking on Ledger: Pros, Limits and Gotchas

Staking is one of the big reasons people adopt hardware wallets for long-term portfolios. The Ledger Wallet app supports staking flows for assets like DOT, SOL, XTZ, TRX, ATOM, ALGO and others, either natively or via partner services. 

Typical flow:

1. Choose the asset and account you want to stake.
2. Pick a validator or provider from the app’s interface.
3. Approve the delegation transaction on the Nano X.
4. Monitor rewards and, when ready, undelegate.

Things to remember:

• Displayed APYs can fluctuate and are not guaranteed.
• Some networks have unbonding periods, so unstaking can take days or weeks.
• There is always a slashing risk if your chosen validator misbehaves or goes offline.

The win is that your keys remain in the Secure Element while you earn yield, rather than sitting on a centralised exchange or custodian. Check out our top picks for the best DeFi staking platforms.

NFT Support and Web3 Integrations

NFT and DeFi usage is where Bluetooth and mobile pairing really earn their keep. The Ledger Wallet app can display and manage NFTs on supported chains, and you can also connect your Nano X to wallets like MetaMask or Rabby to interact with marketplaces and dApps. 

Typical use cases:

• Minting and trading NFTs on Ethereum, Polygon, or other EVM chains by pairing Nano X with MetaMask on a browser or mobile.
• Interacting with DeFi protocols like DEXes, lending platforms and bridges while keeping signing on the hardware wallet.
• Using hardware confirmation to double-check contract interactions, approvals and high-value operations.

Here, the Nano X functions as a “hardware shield” between your hot wallet and the blockchain. Even if your laptop or phone is compromised, the attacker still needs you to approve each malicious transaction on the device screen.

Nano X vs Other Ledger Models (Nano S Plus, Stax, Flex)

Once you are convinced by the basic Ledger model, the next question is which device to pick.

Nano X vs Nano S Plus: Which Makes Sense for Most People?

At a high level:

Nano X

• Priced at $149
• Bluetooth + internal battery
• Up to 100 apps
• Same Secure Element and BOLOS OS as S Plus

Nano S Plus

• Priced roughly at $79–$80
• No Bluetooth, no battery; USB-only
• Also up to 100 apps
• Same Secure Element and OS as Nano X 

Decision summary:

• If you are price-sensitive and do most of your crypto management from a PC or laptop, the Nano S Plus is the sweet spot.
• If you want mobile signing from a phone, travel often, or simply prefer the convenience of wireless use, the Nano X justifies the price gap.

Both are secure. The real difference is ergonomics and mobility, not cryptography.

Nano X vs Ledger Stax

Ledger Stax sits as the premium choice in the Ledger range, with an E-Ink touchscreen, wireless charging and a more modern physical experience. 

Broad strokes:

• Stax gives you a larger display, better visual feedback and a more polished UX for high-frequency usage.
• Nano X remains the mid-range workhorse that delivers most of the security and ecosystem benefits at a lower price.

If you are a power user who signs dozens of transactions daily, obsesses over UX, and is fine with paying more, Stax is attractive. If you want a solid security upgrade from hot wallets without going all-in on touchscreens and premium hardware, the Nano X is still the easier buy. Ledger Flex has been teased as a flexible, thin signer, but at the time of writing, it is not yet as widely available or tested as the existing Nano line and Stax. 

When Ledger Might Not Be Right for You

There are also cases where a Ledger device is not the best fit. In such cases, alternatives to consider are

Open-source firmware preference:

• Trezor Model T for users who want open-source firmware and transparent code. 
• Keystone 3 Pro for QR-based air-gapped signing with open-source components.

Air-gapped, camera-based devices:

• Ellipal Titan 2.0
• NGRAVE Zero 
• These avoid USB or Bluetooth entirely and rely on QR codes for signing.

Ultra-budget hardware wallet:

SafePal S1, which is cheaper but uses a different threat model and supply chain. 

The right choice depends on:

• How much do you hold?
• How paranoid are you about closed firmware?
• Whether your biggest fear is remote malware, physical seizure, or personal mistakes.

Setting Up and Using the Ledger Nano X

Once the box lands on your desk, the first setup takes only a few minutes, but it is worth doing carefully.

Unboxing and First-Time Setup

A clean, safe first setup looks like this:

1. Unbox the Ledger Nano X and check for tamper evidence on the packaging and device. 
2. Go to ledger.com/start or the Ledger Wallet app page from Ledger’s official site and download the app for your OS. 
3. Connect the Nano X via USB-C or start with Bluetooth pairing from your phone.
4. On the device, create and confirm your PIN.
5. The device will show a 24-word recovery phrase. Write it down on paper or metal; do not take photos or store it in cloud notes.
6. The app will ask you to confirm some of the words to check that you wrote them correctly.
7. Inside the app, install the apps for the coins you want to use (BTC, ETH, SOL, etc.)
8. Finally, send a small test transaction to your new wallet before moving large amounts.

Mobile Setup and Bluetooth Pairing

Pairing with a phone is simple, but it can misbehave if permissions or OS versions are out of sync.

General flow:

1. Install the Ledger Wallet app from the App Store or Google Play. 
2. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and on the Nano X.
3. Start pairing from inside the app, not from the OS Bluetooth settings. Confirm the pairing code that appears on both the device and the phone.

Common issues and fixes:

• If pairing fails, forget the device in your phone’s Bluetooth settings, restart both devices and try again.
• If the app complains about firmware, update it through the “My Ledger” section in the desktop app first. 
• On older phones, check that Bluetooth permissions are granted and battery-saving modes are not blocking background connections.

Once paired, approving transactions from mobile becomes a normal part of your flow, not a fight with settings.

Common Issues and How to Fix Them

No device is perfect. A few recurring issues show up in forums and support threads:

Device not recognised over USB:

• Try a different USB cable and port. Some bundled or third-party cables are charge-only.
• Check drivers on Windows or try another computer.

“App not open” or “Verification failed” errors:

• Make sure the right coin app is open on the Nano X before starting the action in the app or DApp.

Firmware update loops:

• Ensure you are using the latest Ledger Wallet app and that the device has enough battery before updating.

Ledger Wallet connectivity problems:

• Disable VPNs or firewalls temporarily.
• Switch networks if your ISP blocks some endpoints.
• On Mac, double-check that you downloaded the app from the official Ledger site to avoid fake versions. 

Pricing, Value and Where to Buy Safely

At some point, the conversation comes back to money and risk.

Price and Discounts

The Ledger Nano X retails around $149, including VAT in many regions, with price equivalents in EUR and GBP depending on local taxes. 

You will often see:

• Bundle discounts when buying multiple devices (family packs, small business packs).
• Occasional sales around big events or holidays at the Ledger store. 

You might also see “cheap” Nano X offers on marketplace sites, but they come with a risk that far outweighs the savings.

Nano X Value vs Risk of Not Using a Hardware Wallet

The key mental model is simple: one bad hack can cost more than the device. If you keep $1,000 sitting on a centralised exchange or a browser hot wallet and lose it to phishing or an exchange freeze, you have paid 6–7x the price of a Nano X in one shot. For larger holdings, a hardware wallet moves from “nice gadget” to “basic risk management.” If your holdings are small and you are experimenting, a very cheap hardware wallet or the Nano S Plus, may be enough. Once you start pushing into four or five figures, the case for a device on the level of Nano X or above becomes much stronger.

Only Buy From Official Sources

This point cannot be stressed enough.

• Buy from Ledger’s official store or authorised resellers listed there.
• Avoid used devices and random marketplace sellers where the device could be tampered with or come with a pre-seeded phrase. 
• Always download the Ledger Wallet app from Ledger’s site or official app stores, not from search engine ads or third-party links. Fake apps have already stolen seeds from Mac and desktop users.

If any interface or site asks you to type your 24-word seed phrase, treat it as a scam. The device and official app will never ask you to do that. 

Final Verdict – Is the Ledger Nano X Still Worth It in 2026?

We can end where we began, but now with more nuance.

Our Take by User Type

Everyday retail investor with a growing portfolio

If you already hold a few thousand dollars across BTC, ETH, some altcoins and maybe a couple of DeFi positions, the Ledger Nano X hits a very good balance of security and convenience. Mobile control, 100-app capacity and a mature ecosystem make it easy to live with. 

Beginner with a small bag

 If you are just starting with a few hundred dollars, the Nano S Plus gives you the same security core for much less money. You can always upgrade to Nano X later if you start to care about Bluetooth and mobile.

DeFi / NFT power user

If you sign transactions all day, use MetaMask heavily, and live in OpenSea, Blur, Uniswap and similar ecosystems, the Nano X plus Ledger Wallet plus browser wallets is a strong stack. If you want a smoother touchscreen UX and do not mind paying extra, Ledger Stax or even more premium options like NGRAVE Zero may feel nicer in hand.

Security maximalist / open-source purist

If closed firmware and Connect Kit sagas have shaken your trust, you might be better served by open-source, air-gapped or QR-based wallets like Trezor Model T, Keystone 3 Pro, or Ellipal Titan 2.0. Ledger’s security design is still strong, but trust perceptions matter in self-custody. 

Bottom Line

The Ledger Nano X remains one of the strongest and most versatile hardware wallets available today. Secure Element, the Ledger Wallet ecosystem, and the simple fact that it makes mobile self-custody much more practical than many rivals. 

Its weak spots are not about cryptography. For many serious retail users who want a mix of strong security, wide coin support and the ability to manage everything from a phone or laptop, the Nano X is still an excellent pick. If your threat model or philosophy pushes you toward fully open-source or fully air-gapped gear, you have solid alternatives.

But if you sit in the broad middle of the market, holding four or five figures, juggling several chains, and wanting both safety and convenience, then the Nano X still earns its place in 2026.