Blockchain sleuth ZachXBT has called all hardware crypto wallets “complete garbage,” naming Ledger as the worst.
ZachXBT, a pseudonymous investigator known for tracing crypto hacks and scams, said in a Wednesday post on his Telegram channel that he wouldn’t use hardware wallets for holding crypto or signing transactions, naming Ledger as the worst and recommending a dedicated iPhone instead. He wrote:
“Hot take: All hardware wallets are complete garbage and l do not advise using them for important tasks like signing transactions or storing funds.”
He suggested using a separate iPhone solely for crypto instead, though such a device would still be connected to the internet and wouldn’t provide the same offline isolation as a traditional hardware wallet.
ZachXBT reserved his strongest criticism for Ledger, a French crypto security company whose companion software has frustrated some users. He wrote:
“Ledger is the worst and Ledger Live has regular updates for UI / apps for no good reason that break simple actions.”
The criticism comes as Ledger weighs going public. The company hired Goldman Sachs, Jefferies and Barclays for a potential U.S. IPO that could value it above $4 billion, but paused the plans in May because of difficult market conditions.
Read also: How to Use Ledger Nano & Hardware Wallets: Step-by-Step Guide to Secure Your Crypto in 2026
Why ZachXBT Attacks Hardware Crypto Wallets
Ledger has been involved in several controversies. In 2020, a breach exposed more than one million email addresses of their customers public together with other information such as their name, phone number, and address.
Its optional Ledger Recover service later also drew backlash because it could export encrypted fragments needed to restore a wallet, while a 2023 Ledger Connect Kit compromise injected wallet-draining code into decentralized apps.
But Ledger isn’t alone. Tangem, a Swiss-headquartered wallet maker with Russian roots, recently faced a laser attack demonstrated by Ledge’s researchers that could reset a card’s password.
Tangem denied any threats since the attack requires the possession of the card, technical knowledge and laboratory equipment
Even Trezor, which is another hardware скнзещ wallet, became subjected to the similar accusations. In 2020, Kraken researchers showed that physical access allows extracting seeds from the Trezor within 15 minutes and 2024 support system breach revealed names and emails of 66,000 customers.
Read more: Best Web3 Wallets 2026: Secure Picks for DeFi, XRP and Beginners
