Ledger support for Zcash is broken and needs to be fixed. For years, users have encountered ongoing issues with Ledger’s Zcash integrations. One recent incident, where funds were stuck on Ledger devices, led Binance to suspend ZEC withdrawals because they couldn’t move funds from their cold wallet to the exchange, which in turn created major price discrepancies across exchanges. While that issue has been addressed, other problems persist. Transactions with shielded inputs from Sapling or Orchard still can’t be processed, and despite two separate ZCG-funded grants, there is still no support for shielded transactions in Ledger Live. This has understandably caused frustration and anger throughout the community.
But abandoning Ledger isn’t the solution. Much of the problem stems from the fact that Zcash support has historically been handled by third-party developers, not the Ledger team itself. Ledger is one of the largest hardware wallet providers in the crypto space, used by both retail and institutional investors as a secure, reliable way to store their assets. For many, it’s the only acceptable custody solution, and they expect ZEC to function just as seamlessly as other supported assets.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been able to get Ledger’s attention, in large part thanks to Zooko. He shared a number of community-reported issues with Ledger’s CTO, who brought in other C-level executives and lead developers to review the problems and begin working toward a solution. Since then, we’ve established a direct line of communication with the Ledger team, and Zooko, Pacu, and I have been working with them in a shared Signal group to test fixes and provide feedback. We have their attention, and the focus is now on establishing a long-term solution. To that end, Ledger has indicated that they are open to taking on direct support for Zcash.
ZCG believes a direct partnership with Ledger would improve how feature development and long-term maintenance are handled. Relying on third-party developers has been challenging. A direct partnership would create a shorter feedback loop to ensure issues are addressed more quickly and effectively, and better align incentives around long-term support. It would also create clearer lines of responsibility and make it easier to hold the right teams accountable when issues arise.
Ledger has privately acknowledged the issues affecting Zcash users and apologized for the shortcomings in their support. They value Zcash’s mission, are aligned with our values of privacy and freedom, and want to play a more active role in supporting the ecosystem. That’s a good start. But turning that into a successful partnership requires more. There must be a clear, public commitment to improving support, beginning with an acknowledgment that past efforts fell short. Going forward, Ledger should make it clear that Zcash is a priority, not an afterthought, and take concrete steps to resolve the outstanding issues and deliver the level of support the community expects.
Next week, Zooko and I will be in Dubai for Token 2049, where a friend of ours plans to introduce us to several potential investors who are interested in acquiring significant amounts of ZEC. For these investors, strong Ledger support is a requirement. They aren’t willing to store funds on Keystone devices or in mobile wallets, and they don’t want to hold transparent ZEC. Ledger is the hardware solution they use for their other holdings, and they expect the same level of support for Zcash. This is one example that illustrates precisely why strong Ledger support for Zcash is essential.
ZCG hopes that the community will support a direct working relationship with Ledger as the best path forward. Relying on third-party developers or intermediaries has not worked. Long-term support must come directly from Ledger’s internal team, with clear ownership and accountability for maintaining and improving Zcash functionality.
Thank you,
Zcash Community Grants
