Nervos x Ledger Nano S Tutorial

How can I store and transact CKB using a Ledger Nano S?

Before we begin, you will need 2 Apps: Ledger live and Neuron wallet.

Part 1: How do I use my Ledger Nano S?

Note: If you already have your ledger wallet set up, you can skip to Part 2 where I will teach you how to use it in combination with the Neuron wallet to keep your CKB safe and make transactions.

In order to start using your Ledger Nano S, you will have to download the “Ledger Live App”. Go to ledger.com/start, press on the Download button and choose the corresponding operating system, like in the pic below. After the download has completed, simply install the ledger live app.

Click on the Ledger Live App, and connect your hardware wallet to your computer with the usb that is in the package.

After you press on Get Started and accept T&C, you will need to choose your device type, in our case, Ledger Nano S.

Now, because it is your first time using this product, press on “Set up a new Nano S” like in the pic below.

You will need approximately 30 minutes to set up your ledger, and make sure you have a pen and your cards to write the 24 words.

NEVER put these words online under any circumstances.

Simply follow the instructions that are shown to you. You will need to have your Nano S connected to your computer through the whole process. If you press the left button by itself you can navigate to the left in the menu, the same goes for the right button, and if you press both buttons at the same time, you choose to activate the function that you currently have on the screen.

Click more times on your device on the right button until you get to “Set up a new device”, then press both buttons simultaneously.

The first step in setting up a new device is creating a password that will be required every time you plug in your nano S into any computer (it unlocks the device) called the PIN. This PIN is 4 to 8 digits long. The more, the better. Try to use a PIN that is easy to remember.

The left button will go through the values in a descending manner, while the right button will go through the values in an ascending manner. By pressing both buttons at the same time you choose that value that is displayed at that moment.

After the PIN is selected, the most important part of your set-up is writing the 24 words that compose your seed phrase.

All the 24 words will be shown on YOUR Nano S (on the device itself, not on your PC). Go through each word, one by one, and write it down, in the EXACT order that the Nano S shows you. Make sure they are in the correct order, otherwise you will have a nasty time in the next step.

After writing down the Seed Phrase, the Ledger Nano S will test you to check if you really have your words written. You will have to navigate through the words shown on the DEVICE, one by one, searching with left/right buttons the right words for their spot, and when you are sure about their position in the order, press both buttons to confirm. Do this for every word in the seed phrase. It is a long process, and maybe a little annoying, but it is for your own good and safety.

With your Seed phrase completed and checked, you now can create multiple copies of it and put it in more SAFE places. Never put it on anything online.

Ledger Live App will also conduct a test on your device to see if the hardware have been tampered with. Just wait for it to do its thing. If everything is fine, you should be good to go.

Usually, when you first enter in the Ledger Live App, you will have a pop-up that will require you to update your Firmware. ALWAYS update your firmware to the latest version, but do not forget that you need both your PIN and Seed Phrase for this action.

Just approve to update your firmware on your device, and it will install the new version automatically.

Now that you have the latest firmware installed, seed phrase in a safe place and you know your PIN, it is the time to install the Nervos App.

Part 2: How do I use the Ledger Nano S to store and transact CKB?

You will need to install the Nervos Network’s app from the Ledger Manager. The Ledger Nano S has a total storage room of about 138 kb. The Nervos app is 44 kb, so after the installation, you will have 98 kb left for other apps.

After you installed your Nervos App on the Ledger Live, you can see the app itself in the menu on your Nano S. Use both buttons simultaneously to open the menu on your Nano S.

Go to the Configuration option and press both buttons at the same time. You can choose what Addresses you want (mainnet or testnet), and for the more advanced users, you can choose to enable Hash Sign and Contract Data.

NOTE: Every action you do from this moment, make sure that you Nano S is already plugged in, so you do not miss any important steps.

Now you want to connect your Ledger Nano S to your Neuron. After you set up your Neuron, go to Help, and then press Settings.

The following should be showed:

IMPORTANT!: Before you go any further, go to your Nano S Nervos app and press both buttons at the same time, thus entering in the Nervos App. Without this step, your Neuron Wallet WILL NOT recognize the Nano S.

After you do this step, go back to Neuron Wallet. Click on Select your Model, and press Nano S, while being in the Nervos App in your Nano S.

REMEMBER! : before you press NEXT, you need your Nano S hardware wallet to already be in the Nervos App like I just showed you.

Press Next. If you respect the steps, you should see something like this.

You will need to confirm the connection between Nano S and Neuron Wallet.

Check your Nano S: you should see the public key, and the possibility to REJECT or ACCEPT the connection. Press both buttons at the same time on ACCEPT.

You will need to choose a name for the imported Nano S public Key.

After you successfully imported your Nano S public address to your Neuron wallet, you should see both your wallets on the main menu, just like this:

From now on make sure that you are always sending CKB to the Nano S public address, by choosing the Nano S wallet as the default. Always double check.

Go to Receive: you can see your Nano S public address. UNLIKE the neuron wallet’s public address, the Nano S public address will NEVER change. It will always remain the same, because the extra security is offered by the hardware wallet itself.

This is what you should see on your Nano S when you Press Verify:

And this is what you should see after you successfully verified your Nano S public address on your Neuron Wallet:

Now that you fully verified your public address, you are ready to do your first transactions. Of course, to deposit is a very easy task and does not involve the use of your hardware wallet at all. You just need your public address (that has just been confirmed in the previous step) and copy-paste it, like any normal transaction.

Ledger Nano S keeps your funds safe, because it does not let you SEND CKB from Neuron wallet WITHOUT hardware confirmation.

Press Send. You have to confirm this transaction on your Nano S by pressing both buttons at the same time on the ACCEPT option.

Press Sign, and sign the transaction on your Nano S. It should look like this:

Remember that your hardware wallet is not storing your CKB, but it is storing the KEY to access your CKB on the blockchain. Always keep your seed phrase in MULTIPLE places and ALWAYS offline (no photos, video, cloud, notes, anything).

Try to memorize your seed phrase.

The combination between a hardware wallet like Nano S and a full node wallet like Neuron is the most powerful, security wise, because every hardware wallet signed transaction will also be validated by your own full node.

Thank you for reading, I hope it made your life easier!

~The Nervos Doc