Shielded Support for Ledger Hardware Wallets (NanoS+, NanoX)

[aquietinvestor]

Please see the below update, which summarizes where things stand with Ledger. We are in close contact and will provide additional updates as the situation evolves.

@ZcashFoundation

Ledger - ZCG had a call with a few Ledger team members. They discussed Hanh’s proposal and past Zondax projects.

• Brian gave a summary of the Ledger call:
  • Ledger is very interested in supporting Zcash shielded transactions. They say there is persistent demand for Zcash support on Ledger devices and they would like to see progress made soon.
  • Ledger was unaware that ZCG and ZF are two distinct grant allocating bodies, but ZCG cleared up that two different teams have been working on Ledger integration.
  • Ledger is indifferent towards working with Hanh or Zondax. They noted their existing relationship with Zondax, spoke well of them, and reiterated Zondax’s experience with Ledger’s expectations and Ledger Live. Ledger wants ZCG to make the decision regarding who submits the app.
  • High-level discussion on Ledger’s concerns they had with Hanh’s proposal.
    • Ledger doesn’t care who submits the application, but believe it’s better for a blockchain-based organization to submit because an org is better suited to provide long-term support for the app.
    • One option is for ZCG or ZF to co-apply with Hanh to serve as a backing organization that could potentially provide funding for support if Hanh was to stop supporting the app.
    • Ledger also voiced that the developers behind the application should be KYC’d, which is not an issue as Hanh is already a grant recipient.
    • Ledger wants to ensure a long-term agreement for supporting and maintaining the app.
  • Other requirements Ledger noted: the app must be user-friendly, Ledger Live compatible with shielded Zcash transactions, and the app should also be able to be used by third parties and YWallet.
• The committee had a follow-up call with Hanh to discuss these asks/requirements. Brian gave a summary of that call:
  • Most concerns were addressable by Hanh aside from some technical concerns like Ledgerlive and shielded Zcash.
  • Hanh has some questions about the integration with Ledger Live, specifically related to sync capabilities and the design parameters.
  • The next step is to have a call with Hanh, the Ledger team, and ZCG to discuss all concerns from both parties and next steps.
• Jason emphasized that Hanh being an individual developer is not a dealbreaker for Ledger. Ledger’s concern is that if Hanh stops supporting the app, there is still an organization that can provide funding or find another developer who can support and maintain the app. This is ZCG’s role. The best path forward would be for ZCG (or ZF) to co-apply with Hanh, if possible.
• Alex said that ZCG is a committee under ZF and doesn’t have the ability to enter into agreements on its own. He asked what sort of commitment was discussed with Ledger. Jason and Brian said that they would have a better idea once they receive the application from Ledger and will follow up with ZF on next steps.