Ledger Introduces Physical ‘Recovery Key’ NFC Backup for Wallets

Ledger has introduced a new type of backup that calls it a “speech key” for your crypto wallet.

The Ledger Recovery key works with the Ledger Flex and Ledger Stax Wallets as a way to restore access to your assets.

The recovery key contains NFC connectivity in addition to a safe element that stores a backup key by PIN.

Once combined with a ledger or ledger -hardware portion, users can restore their crypto portfolios by tapping the card against the device and entering a pen.

The device is launched in addition to “reviewable code and a white paper, as part of our dedication to transparency,” said Charles Guillemet, Chief Technology Officer at Ledger, in a statement shared with Decrypt. The recovery key has “undergone extensive security tests” with Ledger’s White Hat Hacking Team, the Donjon, in addition to “extensive internal tests and external security audits.”

The company invoices it as a safe way to restore your assets that is easier than the traditional seed sentence of 24 words.

However, it does not completely eliminate the seed sense, and acts as a layer for more convenient access.

This is not Ledger’s first attempt to simplify the recovery process of the wallet. In 2023 it launched the Restore Subscription service, which led a fierce return from its user base about concern that it was a security risk.

The new recovery key is “designed for optionality”, a spokesperson said of the ledger told Decrypt. “Ledger does not remove the 24 words, because it is important to have a head key, but it will be used over time for user use and feedback,” they added. “Ledger has now designed the widest series of recovery options that are available to meet the needs of as many users as possible without endangering security.”

The map-based recovery technique is comparable to that of the CyperRock X1 hardware pallet, which Decrypt Recently assessed. However, Ledger wanted to distinguish his offer from the competition. “The X1 cards from Cyperock are not upgradable firmware, which means that if a vulnerability is ever found, it is completely impossible to repair that vulnerability,” said the ledger spokesperson for the ledger DecryptAdding that his own hardware “is always upgrade to prevent new advanced attacks.”

The spokesperson added that Ledger’s devices are the only hardware portfolios that have a safe screen. “The safe element that performs cryptographic operations also feeds the screen, so that you can be sure what you see is what you sign,” they explained. “Transactions on ledger can only be signed on the device with the secure screen, and the ledger recovery key is only used for the safe backup and restoring your seed sentence.”

The Ledger Recovery key will be available “in the near future”.