Hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger has announced the launch of the new Ledger Flex wallet, which builds on the design language and E Ink touchscreen interface established with the previous Stax model.
At $249, the Ledger Flex sits below the high-end $399 Ledger Stax in the company's device portfolio.
It has a 2.8-inch E Ink capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 600x480 pixels – but without Stax's Tony Fadell-designed curved screen.
It comes in one of two colors; the company's signature black and silver design or a special orange BTC Edition variant.
Pascal Gauthier, CEO of Ledger said in a press release:
“Our new secure touchscreen portfolio will make self-storage more accessible than ever to more consumers and businesses.”
Weighing 57.5g, Flex also integrates USB C, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC connectivity into a chassis measuring 78.40 mm × 56.50 mm × 7.70 mm, along with a battery that promises to “last for weeks or even even months on a single charge.
Most importantly, of course, Flex also comes with the company's Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 6 certified security component, helping to secure the company's line of devices.
The security component is the heart of the device, generating and storing users' private keys and powering Ledger's security monitor.
The company claims to have a “unique approach” to deploying security components, combining its proprietary operating system, BOLOS, with Donjon, a group of white-hat hackers tasked with finding and solving vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities in the company's hardware and software.
Your proof
Flex is part of the company's efforts to "secure a world adopting AI" by providing "Proof of You," the company said in its press release.
That initiative starts with a new Ledger Security Key app that allows users to create 2FA and Passkey Two-Factor Authentication built using the open FIDO 2 specification on the device.
The app, available for both Flex and Stax wallets, enables passwordless logins to sites like Google, Amazon, and cryptocurrency exchanges Binance and Coinbase, by tapping the device to the phone with NFC or plug into personal computer.
Ledger and security
Ledger has faced criticism for its security elements in the past. In 2021, a company's customer email database was hacked, exposing the personal information of nearly 300,000 Ledger users.
Last year, a malicious version of the Ledger Connect Kit was identified by developers on Twitter, prompting the company to warn customers to stop interacting with decentralized applications ( dApps ) during its deployment. fixes.
More controversially, in May 2023, the company was criticized for Ledger Recover, a key recovery service based on the user's seed phrase backup ID.
While Ledger reassured users that this was an optional service, some accused the company of creating “backdoors” on devices, arguing that “The code path to send private key documents over the internet would resides on your device, regardless of whether you opt in or not.”
The Paris-based company's co-founder, Nicolas Bacca, said at the time that the service was "absolutely not a backdoor, as nothing will happen without your consent on your device." your device,” while adding that it does not increase attack vectors on hardware wallets.
The hardware wallet company advertised its Recover service as being supported on Ledger Flex from launch, adding that:
“With Ledger Recover, you never have to worry about restoring access to your wallet, even if your physical Secret Recovery Phrase backup is lost or destroyed.”
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