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The quick verdict
The bottom line: the Ledger Stax is Ledger’s flagship hardware wallet, and setting it up with an iPhone takes about 20 minutes plus whatever time the firmware updates demand. The curved E Ink touchscreen makes the whole process dramatically easier than the old button-based Ledgers. Buy it direct from Ledger, keep your 24-word recovery phrase offline and private, and you will be ready to move coins off the exchange and into your own custody.
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Watch: the full setup walkthrough
Everything below follows the video step by step. If you would rather watch than read, the walkthrough above covers the full unboxing and setup on iPhone.
What is the Ledger Stax?
A crypto wallet, in its simplest form, is how you take custody of your own coins instead of leaving them on an exchange. Your crypto actually lives on the blockchain; the wallet holds your private keys, which are the only thing that can move those coins. A hardware wallet keeps those keys on a dedicated offline device, so they never touch your phone or computer.
The Ledger Stax is Ledger’s most premium hardware wallet. It was designed with Tony Fadell (the iPod guy), and the headline feature is the world’s first curved E Ink touchscreen. That screen wraps around the spine of the device, which is where it shows your device name and battery level. It is credit-card sized (85 x 54 x 6 mm, 45.2 g), charges over USB-C or Qi wireless, and runs about 10 hours of active use or days on standby per charge. Private keys live on a CC EAL6+ certified secure element chip, the same grade of hardware used in passports and bank cards.
It costs $399 USD direct from Ledger as of September 2026. That is a lot for a crypto wallet, and Pete says it himself in the video: did he need a new crypto wallet? No. But the thing is genuinely cool, and the touchscreen makes setup and everyday use far less fiddly than the old two-button Ledgers.
In the box you get the Stax, a USB-C cable, recovery sheets, the magnetic shell case, and a getting-started guide. Newer shipments also include a Ledger Recovery Key smart card.
Before you start: buy it right
This matters more than any setup step. Only buy a Ledger direct from Ledger or an authorized reseller. Never buy one secondhand. When it arrives, the box should be sealed in plastic. If anything looks tampered with, do not accept it. Send it back and contact the seller.
The good news: during setup, Ledger Live performs a genuine check on the device, so a compromised unit gets flagged. But start with a sealed box from a trusted source and you remove the question entirely.
Step 1: Unbox it
Open the box and take stock. You should find:
- The Ledger Stax itself (peel the plastic screen protector, the fun part)
- The magnetic shell case that snaps onto the back
- A USB-C charging cable
- Printed documents including three recovery sheets
- The getting-started guide
The device is tiny, roughly a stack of a few credit cards. On the side there is a single indented button in a different coloured metal. On the bottom is the USB-C port, and the back says Ledger Stax.
Step 2: Power it on
Press the side button. You will hear a small sound. The Stax has a tiny speaker that plays button clicks and confirmation sounds. The screen lights up and walks you through what the device does: it generates and stores your private keys, which give you ownership and control of your crypto and NFTs.
The device offers three setup paths: Ledger Live mobile, Ledger Live desktop, or setup without Ledger Live. This guide follows the mobile path with an iPhone, which is what Pete demonstrates.
Step 3: Install Ledger Live on your iPhone
The Stax screen shows a QR code. Scan it with your iPhone camera to download Ledger Live from the App Store. (Ledger Live needs iOS 14 or later.)
Open Ledger Live, select your device type, then tap Add new and choose “Set up a new Ledger.” Select Ledger Stax from the device list.
Step 4: Pair over Bluetooth
The Stax screen shows its Bluetooth name, something like “Ledger Stax d22b.” Check that the same name appears on the curved spine display. When you start pairing, a 6-digit code appears on both the Stax screen and your iPhone. Confirm the codes match, then tap Pair on both.
That is it. Pairing takes seconds. If you are nervous about Bluetooth on a security device, the private keys never leave the secure element chip. Bluetooth only carries public data like addresses and unsigned transactions. Everything sensitive is verified and signed on the device itself.
Step 5: Genuine check and firmware update
This is the critical security step, and it is automatic. Ledger Live verifies the device is genuine, then checks for firmware updates. Allow the secure connection when prompted.
Be patient here. Pete’s brand-new Stax needed two updates back to back, going from version 1.3 to 1.5 and then to 1.6. Each update installs in stages, and the device restarts multiple times. Do not interrupt it. His advice: open the wallet regularly once it is set up, because coming back after months away to a stack of pending updates is no fun.
When the app says the device is genuine and the OS is up to date, continue.
Step 6: Name your device
Give the Stax a name using the on-screen keyboard. This is one of the best parts of the touchscreen: no more clicking through letters with two buttons. Pete named his “Pete’s crypto,” and the name shows up right on the curved spine of the device. Name one for savings, one for meme coins, whatever you want.
Step 7: Set your PIN
Choose a 4 to 8 digit PIN that unlocks the device. Two things to know:
- The number pad scrambles every time, so nobody can guess your PIN from smudges or by watching which positions you tap.
- Enter the wrong PIN three times in a row and the device wipes itself to factory settings. That is a security feature, not a bug.
Pete recommends going longer than 4 digits. He used 1234 in the video purely for the demo. You should use 6 to 8 random digits and actually remember them, because a wipe means restoring from your recovery phrase.
Step 8: New wallet or restore
The device asks whether to set up as a new Ledger or restore from an existing recovery phrase. For a first wallet, choose “Set up a new Ledger.” Restore is for when you already have a 24-word phrase from another wallet and want this device to control those same coins.
Step 9: Write down your 24-word recovery phrase
This is the most important step in the entire process. The Stax generates a random 24-word secret recovery phrase. This phrase IS your wallet. The device is replaceable; the phrase is not. Anyone who learns these 24 words can take your crypto, from anywhere in the world, forever.
The device shows the words 6 at a time. Write each word on the recovery sheet, in order, with no spelling errors. The order matters as much as the words. Ledger includes three recovery sheets, and backing the phrase up more than once in separate safe places is smart.
Rules, no exceptions:
- Never photograph the phrase.
- Never type it into your phone or computer.
- Never share it with anyone. Ledger will never ask for it. Anyone who asks is a scammer.
- Paper or a stamped metal plate only. Pete’s take: treat it like the most important piece of paper you own.
One nerdy detail from the video: technically only the first four letters of each word matter (the wordlist is designed that way), but write out the full words anyway. Pete’s demo phrase started with “shiver” and ended with “sketch.”
Do not rush this step. If you plan to actually use the wallet, double-check every word.
Step 10: Confirm the phrase on the device
The Stax quizzes you to prove you wrote the words down correctly. It asks you to select specific words by number, and the touchscreen makes this fast. Pete notes this is dramatically quicker than the old Ledger devices where you scrolled through the alphabet with two buttons.
When all words check out, the device confirms: your secret recovery phrase is set.
Step 11: Install your coin apps
Back in Ledger Live, install the apps for the coins you hold. Pete’s setup installed Bitcoin and Ethereum to start. Allow the secure connection when prompted, and the apps load onto the device. You can add more apps later (Solana, and others) from the Manager tab in Ledger Live. The Stax holds up to 100 apps.
Step 12: Customize the lock screen (optional)
This is the fun part. The E Ink display can show a photo or an NFT you own, even when the device is off. In Ledger Live, choose a picture from your phone, crop it, pick a contrast level, and set it as the lock screen. Pete put his cat Charles on his. You will need to unlock the device with your PIN to apply it.
Step 13: Lock it and you are done
Press the side button to lock the device, just like a phone. The lock screen shows your image, the spine shows your device name and battery percentage. Setup complete.
The next step, which Pete covers in a follow-up video, is buying crypto on an exchange like Coinbase and transferring it to the Stax. Do a small test transfer first. Make sure it arrives before you move anything serious.
Security rules: the callout box
Protect your crypto
- Never share your 24-word recovery phrase. Not with Ledger, not with support, not with anyone. Anyone who has it owns your coins.
- Never digitize the phrase. No photos, no notes app, no cloud storage, no typing it into any website.
- Buy direct from Ledger. Never buy a hardware wallet secondhand or from a marketplace seller.
- Verify receive addresses on the device screen. Before accepting a deposit address from Ledger Live, confirm it matches what the Stax displays.
- Three wrong PINs wipes the device. That protects you if it is stolen. Your recovery phrase brings everything back on a replacement.
Ledger Stax quick specs
| Price | $399 USD (as of September 2026) |
| Display | 3.7-inch curved E Ink touchscreen, 16 grayscale |
| Security chip | ST33K1M5 secure element, CC EAL6+ |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC |
| Charging | USB-C and Qi wireless |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours active use, days on standby |
| Size and weight | 85 x 54 x 6 mm, 45.2 g |
| Coin support | 500+ in Ledger Live, thousands via third-party wallets |
| NFTs | Ethereum and Polygon in Ledger Live |
| Works with | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux |
FAQ
Ledger Stax vs Nano X: which should I buy?
Both keep your keys on a certified secure element and support the same coins, so the security fundamentals are identical. The Nano X is $149 and does the job with a small OLED screen and two buttons. The Stax is $399 and you are paying for the big curved touchscreen, wireless charging, and a much easier experience. If you touch your wallet often or hate fiddly buttons, the Stax is worth it. If you just need cold storage on a budget, the Nano X is the smart buy. Pete’s companion video, 5 Reasons You Need a Hardware Wallet (and 3 Reasons You Might Not) (https://youtu.be/x3oFjEoms6M), walks through whether you need one at all.
Is Bluetooth safe on a hardware wallet?
Yes. Your private keys never leave the secure element chip, and Bluetooth only transmits public information. Every transaction must still be physically verified and approved on the device screen. If Bluetooth still bothers you, you can run the Stax over USB-C only and never pair it.
What happens if I lose my Ledger Stax?
Nothing, as long as you have your 24-word recovery phrase. Buy a replacement, choose Restore during setup, enter the phrase, and your coins are back. The lost device is protected by your PIN, and three wrong guesses wipe it. The phrase is the wallet; the device is just the key holder.
Does the Ledger Stax work with iPhone?
Yes. This entire guide was done on an iPhone over Bluetooth, and Ledger Live requires iOS 14 or later. It also works with Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Can I buy crypto directly in Ledger Live?
Ledger Live has integrated buy, swap, and stake features through third-party providers, so you can do it without leaving the app. That said, compare fees with your usual exchange. Many people buy on an exchange like Coinbase and transfer to the Stax, which is what Pete demonstrates in his follow-up video.