Ledger vs. Trezor: Search for ideal crypto wallet

​Ledger and Trezor have been the most popular cryptocurrency wallets for many years. But neither brand is perfect, and vulnerabilities have been found in both more than once. The more such incidents appear, the more often the question arises: which wallet can really be considered reliable?

Trezor: Attacks through chips, website and social media

Another reason to discuss Trezor’s security came after a report by Donjon, Ledger’s research team. Its specialists found a vulnerability in the TROPIC01 chip used in the Trezor Safe 7 wallet. The attack required physical access to the chip, laboratory equipment and precise laser exposure. Trezor said users’ funds are safe because TROPIC01 is only one of the device’s three layers of protection.

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This was not the first similar episode. In March 2025, Ledger Donjon reported a vulnerability in Trezor Safe 3. It involved an attack in case of physical theft of the wallet: the problem was linked to the microcontroller that works together with the protected chip. Trezor said at the time that Safe 5 was not affected by the issue, and that researchers were unable to extract private keys or PIN codes from the tested device.

There have also been attacks not on the device itself, but on Trezor users. In 2024, the company warned about a phishing campaign: attackers used the contact form on the official website and sent emails that looked like support replies. Trezor stressed that there had been no leak of email addresses, but reminded users of the main rule: the company never asks for a wallet backup or seed phrase.

In January 2024, there were reports of unauthorized access to a third-party support portal. In March 2024, an attacker compromised the company’s X account and posted fake presales on the Solana network. These cases did not mean that hardware wallets themselves had been directly hacked, but they showed that attackers can target not only the device, but also communication channels between the brand and users.

Ledger: A protected wallet, a vulnerable ecosystem

Ledger is also far from perfect. The brand relies on protected chips designed to isolate private keys inside the device. However, recent years have shown that attackers can target more than the wallet itself. Apps, partners, libraries for decentralized services and users receiving fake emails from scammers can all become vulnerable.

In January 2026, Ledger faced a leak of customers’ personal data through its payment partner Global-e. According to blockchain investigator ZachXBT, a vulnerability at the third-party provider exposed the contact information of Ledger users. In a letter to affected customers, Global-e said it had detected suspicious activity in part of its network. The company confirmed unauthorized access to some data, including names and customer contact information.

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In 2024, Ledger owners were hit by a mass phishing attack. Scammers sent emails in the company’s name and claimed there had been a data breach. Users were asked to “verify” their seed phrase on a fake website. The page looked like an official Ledger service, but was created to steal data. If a person entered an incorrect phrase, the site showed an error and asked them to try again until the scammers received the correct combination.

In November 2024, a fake Ledger Live app was found in the Microsoft Store. Users downloaded it thinking they were installing the official interface for working with their wallet. According to media reports, the fake app allowed attackers to steal $768,000.

Another serious episode happened in December 2023. Back then, the Ledger Connect Kit library used by decentralized applications was compromised. Ledger said the cause was a phishing attack against a former employee: the attacker gained the ability to upload a malicious file to a JavaScript package manager. According to Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier, the company, together with WalletConnect, fixed the exploit about 40 minutes after it was discovered and replaced the compromised library.

There is no perfect wallet

The stories of Trezor and Ledger show that vulnerabilities can be very different. In one case, researchers test a chip with a laser. In another, scammers send emails, create fake websites or upload a fake app to a store. Sometimes the problem is inside the device, sometimes in the services around it, and sometimes in the user’s trust in a familiar brand.

There are other hardware wallets on the market as well, such as devices from Coinkite, BitBox, Keystone or Tangem. Some focus only on Bitcoin, while others rely on cards, QR codes, open code or no connection to a computer. But none of these approaches removes all risks at once. The more complex the device and the broader its ecosystem, the more places there are where a weak link can appear.

In this situation, the ideal crypto wallet should protect not only private keys inside the device. It should show the user exactly what they are signing, avoid collecting unnecessary personal data, have a clear update system, undergo independent audits and be resistant to physical attacks. But even that is not enough if the owner enters their seed phrase on a fake website or downloads a fake app.

That is why wallet reliability cannot be reduced to one brand or one chip. Ledger is more strongly associated with hardware protection and a closed protected chip. Trezor is associated with openness and verifiability. Other manufacturers offer their own compromises. In reality, the safest wallet is not the one in which vulnerabilities have never been found, but the one where risks are understood in advance, fixed quickly and do not turn one user mistake into the loss of all funds.