How to use a Ledger device in the xRhodium Electrum wallet

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xRhodium

6 min readOct 1, 2021

This article provides comprehensive step-by-step instructions on how to set up and use the xRhodium Electrum desktop application to manage your XRC with a Ledger hardware wallet.

Setting up the Ledger device in the xRhodium Electrum wallet

1. First, you will need to install the xRhodium app from the Ledger Live platform. You do this by opening the Manager in Ledger Live, connecting and unlocking your Ledger device and, if asked, allowing the Manager to run on it. Then, find xRhodium in the app catalog and click the Install button. The display on your device will read Processing… until the installation is complete and confirmed.

2. Download the latest version of the xRhodium Electrum wallet for your platform.

3. To set up the wallet, after you start the Electrum wallet app, select File, then New to create a new wallet. Provide a convenient wallet name to your liking and click Next.

4. Select a wallet type as standard “R”-prefixed wallet and click Next again.

5. Choose Use a hardware device menu and click Next again.

**Step 5.** Choose Use a hardware device

Be careful here NOT to select “I already have a seed” as putting your hardware wallet recovery seed into such software wallet would reduce your wallet security and could get all your coins taken into wrong hands if your computer is compromised. It’s safer and simpler to assume that your computer has been compromised than ensure it was not. Your hardware wallet can only provide security properties you expect of it if you keep your recovery seed safe. As a rule of thumb you must never share, type your hardware wallet recovery seed on any computer, phone or mobile device.

6. If your Ledger device is plugged in and right permissions to access USB are given the Ledger hardware wallet will appear in the list of choices as per the picture below. Select the wallet you like if you have multiple choices or the one that’s offered.

Quick hack if you are having problems seeing Ledger hardware wallet visible on this screen. Check if it’s visible to Ledger Live app. If yes, close the Ledger Live app. Unplug the device, re-insert it again into USB slot and test in Electrum again.
Start xRhodium app on Ledger device. If you do not start the app you will get this or similar error message:

Error message for xRhodium app not running on Ledger device

7. If Ledger device has xRhodium app running and Electrum wallet can communicate with it, you should see the address type choice as in the picture below. Select Legacy (p2pkh), leave the derivation path field unchanged, then click Next.

**Step 7.** Choose address type and derivation path

8. In this next step, we recommend choosing an encrypted wallet. It won’t help security but might help privacy, as keys and all the things that need serious protection do not live in these files but in the Ledger device. After you made a choice, click Next again. This step completes the wallet setup process.

**Step 8.** Choose wallet file encryption setting

Browsing the transaction history

9. If your wallet already has some transactions you should start seeing them listed here shortly after completing the previous step. If you never used your Ledger device master key in xRhodium currency then it’s normal for the list to be empty.

**Step 9.** Wallet opened and synchronized

Sending XRC

10. To send coins, place the recipient address into Pay to field, choose the right Amount and Fees, and click Send.

11. Electrum wallet will ask to double-check that the payment you have requested has the correct amount and correct fees. If happy with your inputs, click Yes to confirm.

**Step 11.** Confirmation before sending

12. You will be prompted to confirm the transaction address, amount etc. on the Ledger device. If the information displayed on the device is still what you have intended, then approve it to get the transaction signed and sent to the network.

**Step 12.** Confirmation on Ledger device

13. Once successfully sent, you shall see a dialogue window like the one below.

14. A transaction list should show shortly the unconfirmed transaction. This is completely normal and does not require any further user action. The transaction is broadcasted and waiting to be included in the blockchain. This sometimes could take considerable time depending on network parameters at that time. Be patient but do not assume that an unconfirmed transaction is complete as it could get revoked, and altered until it has been confirmed.

15. Once the transaction is confirmed, you will see the clock or green tick.

Managing transactions

16. Sometimes you may want to see a buffer of 20 future receiving addresses. They can be found in the Addresses tab. If you scroll down, you will also see change addresses too. They aren’t normally used by consumers but rather used by the system to send change from your transaction.

**Step 16.** Future receiving and Change addresses

17. You may also want to view and/or manage specific transactions/coins. These can be found in the Coins tab. You can lock specific transactions, for example, to prevent spending it to comply with the Strong Hands Programme rules.

Receiving XRC

18. When you need to receive coins into your wallet you will need to use the Receive tab. It will display your receiving address. The field will change colour to red if the address has been used while you are on this tab. Click on New if you need a new address. Generated addresses will be visible at the Address tab.

It is generally good practice to always use new address. It is also advisable when sending address over network apps to couple it with some sort of protection mechanics like attach an image for example. Such would prevent malware on network or recipient side intercepting and altering addresses without your knowledge and sending funds to wrong place.

19. If you click on the eye icon next to the address, the same address will be displayed on the Ledger device. You might want to confirm that the address is the same as on your screen and where you transmitted it to prevent malware altering it on your computer side. Remember that the correct address is what will get displayed on the Ledger device as this is the address derived from your private key.

One last thing that is worth mentioning is that many people are too often confused about where the coins live. Coins always live on the network specifically in blockchain transaction records. Electrum wallet software or Ledger devices are just tools that help conveniently managing your keys, seamlessly signing transactions, and displaying transaction information retrieved from blockchain, and primarily helping you to safely own and spend your coins.

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