Ledger Guide: Protect Your DAWs!
Why is it so important to protect our DAWs?
- As we all know, the value of our DAWs have skyrocketed since mint, meaning scams and phishing attacks may start targeting DAW holders.
- Securing your DAWs via a hardware wallet ensures that all transactions are confirmed by you as your keys are stored offline.
- A recommended hardware wallet is the Ledger Nano S or X. Please only purchase from the official Ledger website.
- Never, ever type your seed phrase online or share your seed phrase with anyone.
The Guide
1. Set up your Ledger as per the instructions that come in the box.
2. Plug your Ledger in to your computer and open up your usual MetaMask wallet. While you can use Chrome, I would recommend using Firefox as Chrome sometimes has issues.
3. Click on your MetaMask account icon (the colorful circle) and click ‘connect hardware wallet’. This should identify your Ledger. A list of addresses will appear. Choose the first one that comes up. This will be your new MetaMask Ledger account address.
4. Go on opensea.io (OS)and log in with new Ledger account. This will create a new OS account (with your Ledger address).
5. The next step is to transfer your NFTs. Log into OS using your old account, click on the NFT that you would like to transfer and press the transfer icon (gift box). Copy paste your new Ledger address in the box that appears and click ‘transfer’.
6. You will now see your transferred DAW in your new Ledger OS account (note: you will need to pay a gas fee for each transfer). Repeat this process for your remaining NFTs. Once you have transferred all your NFTs, you can also go on Ledger Live and click Discover → Rainbow.app to view all NFTs that are in your new wallet.
7. When you want to list a DAW for sale on OS using your new OS account linked to your Ledger, you will now need to physically confirm this via your Ledger.
8. To list for sale, log in to your new OS account, plug your Ledger in to your computer, enter your PIN and open the Ethereum app. After opening the Ethereum app, click settings → blind signing → enable (you will only need to do this once). Once you list your DAW for sale, and confirm via your Ledger, your DAW will be successfully listed on OS.
Common issues and how to resolve them:
- Issue 1: MetaMask can’t ‘find’ Ledger after clicking ‘connect hardware wallet’.
- Resolution: This issue usually occurs when using Chrome as your browser. Switch to Firefox or another browser.
- Issue 2: Sometimes when transferring NFTs, MetaMask may not ask you to authorize via your Ledger and the transfer/transaction will be pending for a long period of time. Don’t worry, this is a common error.
- Resolution: Let the transaction fail (there will be no gas fee but it may take a while). Reset your Ledger MetaMask wallet by clicking account icon → settings → advanced → reset account. Also reset your browser. This should fix the error.
- Issue 3: What if my Ledger breaks or I lose it? Will I lose all my DAWs?!
- Resolution: No. Even if your Ledger breaks or gets lost, you can always get a new one and restore your NFTs if you have your seed phrase. This is why it is so important to store your seed phrase safely.
TLDR: Grab a hardware wallet ASAP and protect your DAWs!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Desperate Apewives.