ZachXBT Slams Hardware Wallets, Calls Ledger 'The Worst'

Onchain investigator ZachXBT has taken direct aim at the hardware wallet industry, arguing that current devices are not suitable for signing critical transactions or storing significant crypto holdings. He reserved his sharpest criticism for Ledger, calling it the worst option available.

A Case Against Hardware Wallets

ZachXBT described all hardware wallets as "complete garbage" in a Telegram post, framing the view as a "hot take." He did not disclose a specific vulnerability or present evidence that all hardware wallet models share a common security flaw. The thrust of his argument was practical: the user experience is poor enough to create real risk for holders managing meaningful sums.

As an alternative, he recommended keeping a separate iPhone whose sole purpose is to function as a crypto wallet, adding the caveat that the setup is only suitable for technically competent users.

The criticism lands at a difficult moment for the sector. A fake Ledger app on Apple's App Store drained $9.5 million from more than 50 victims across Bitcoin, Tron and Solana, according to ZachXBT. That incident, however, involved social engineering rather than a flaw in Ledger's hardware itself. Ledger Chief Technology Officer Charles Guillemet responded by stating the company will never ask for a user's 24-word recovery phrase, and that the only reliable protection is keeping private keys on a dedicated hardware device with a secure screen.

Ledger Singled Out for Software Complaints

ZachXBT specifically identified Ledger as the provider he considered the worst, with his complaint focused on frequent updates to Ledger's companion application that he said could prevent basic functions from working properly. "Ledger is the worst and Ledger Live has regular updates for UI / apps for no good reason that break simple actions," he said.

Ledger is in the process of moving from "Ledger Live" to "Ledger Wallet," but both names remain in use across apps, websites, and search results, which can make it harder for users to identify what is official. Critics argue that adding complexity to companion software increases the surface area for the kind of breakage ZachXBT described.

A phone used only for crypto may reduce exposure to everyday browsing and unknown applications, but it remains a general-purpose device whose security depends on its operating system, wallet software, and backup configuration. For that reason, a dedicated iPhone should not automatically be considered equivalent to cold storage, as it replaces the hardware wallet security model with a different set of risks rather than eliminating them.

ZachXBT's post quickly sparked debate across crypto social media, with users sharing their own experiences with hardware wallet frustrations.

Sources:
The Block: Fake Ledger App on Apple App Store Linked to $9.5M Crypto Theft
BleepingComputer: Fake Ledger Live App on Apple's App Store Stole $9.5M in Crypto
Crypto Times: ZachXBT Tells Users to Ditch Ledger for iPhone