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If Ledger Nano X was a secure pocketknife, then Ledger Stax is a sleek vault with a touchscreen interface. Designed by Tony Fadell—the mind behind the iPod—the Ledger Stax is Ledger’s most advanced and premium offering yet, featuring a unique curved E Ink display, wireless charging, and secure Bluetooth connectivity. It’s made not just for holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP, but for doing so with style, comfort, and uncompromising security.

This deep-dive review explores everything the Ledger Stax offers in 2025—from setup to signing, UX to aesthetics—and whether it deserves to be the centerpiece of your cold storage system.

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Pros & Cons

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Ledger Stax Product Specs

• Manufacturer: Ledger (France)
• Type: Touchscreen Bluetooth hardware wallet
• Release Year: 2024
• Price: From €399
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.2
• Display: 3.7” curved E Ink touchscreen, always-on
• Security: ST33K1M5 Secure Element (CC EAL6+), PIN, BIP39 passphrase support
• Battery: 200mAh Li-ion, charges via Qi wireless or USB-C
• Supported Assets: 5500+, including BTC, ETH, XRP, ADA, SOL, and ERC-20s
• OS Compatibility: Ledger Live (Windows/macOS/iOS/Android)
• Special Features:
  
  • Custom wallet name & balance on spine
  • Secure wireless signing with Bluetooth
  • NFT display and transaction verification
  • Touch interface with scroll/swipe support
    
    

How I Used the Ledger Stax

I’ve been using Ledger hardware wallets since the early days—back when the Nano S was the gold standard and every transaction felt like you were assembling a puzzle. I moved to the Nano X for Bluetooth, and when the Ledger Stax finally landed on my desk, I wasn’t sure if I needed more... until I opened the box.

Unboxing: A Wallet That Demands to Be Seen

The moment I peeled back the lid, I knew this wasn’t just another cold storage device. It was more like unboxing a new Kindle mixed with an iPhone. The packaging was minimalist, premium, and deliberate. The Stax itself sat front and center—sleek, stone-gray, with a gently curved spine and a glassy E Ink touchscreen that wrapped around like a high-end book. You don’t stash this one in a sock drawer. You display it—maybe even show it off.

In the box: a short USB-C cable, a couple of recovery phrase cards, and a quick start guide. No frills, but nothing was missing.

First Boot: From Cold Steel to Warm Interface

Powering it on for the first time felt like lighting up a Kindle, only it’s your Bitcoin staring back at you instead of a novel. The screen came alive with quiet elegance—no bright glare, no fanfare. I tapped through the setup: generated a 24-word recovery phrase (standard BIP-39, so totally compatible with other wallets), wrote it down, and picked a PIN.

Bluetooth pairing with Ledger Live was seamless. Within 15 minutes, I had added my BTC and ETH accounts, synced the wallet, and was ready to transact. No cables, no browser extensions, no confusion. Just tap, confirm, done.

A Day of Real Use: Sending, Receiving, Living With Stax

I started small—sending myself 0.002 BTC from another wallet. On Stax, the full Bitcoin address appeared clearly on the screen—no truncation, no “scroll to see full address.” It was all there, just like it should be. I confirmed it, tapped once, and watched the transaction arrive.

The next day, I tried something more ambitious. I transferred some ETH using only Bluetooth, phone in one hand, Ledger Stax in the other. No cable required. I signed the transaction directly on the device’s curved screen and watched it broadcast from my phone within seconds. There was something uniquely satisfying about this process, like the convenience of a hot wallet, but without the anxiety.

I added my XRP account and a few ERC-20 test tokens. Everything synced without issue. The Stax even allowed me to switch between wallet “profiles” derived from the same seed—Bitcoin cold storage in one tab, an Ethereum NFT wallet in another, a DeFi wallet in a third. That segmentation, all on-device, gave me confidence and structure.

Customizing It: My Wallet, My Aesthetic

One of the moments that genuinely made me smile was customizing the lock screen. I uploaded an NFT I own—a pixel art cat I minted in 2021. Using the Ledger Live app, I cropped it, adjusted the contrast, and sent it to the device. Now, every time I pick up the Stax, that little pixel cat greets me like a private signature.

It’s subtle, but it adds a sense of ownership to the experience. Your wallet isn’t just a tool—it becomes an extension of your personality.

Battery Life: Quietly Dependable

I left the Stax on my desk, powered on, for two full weeks. I used it roughly once a day—some test sends, a few swaps, and a firmware update. After two weeks, the battery hovered at 62%. Not bad at all.

When it came time to charge, I used a Qi wireless pad I already had for my phone. Just dropped the Stax on top—it charged without issue. For faster charging or firmware updates, the USB-C port did its job just fine. I do wish the battery were user-replaceable, but for now, it feels like it’ll last a long while, especially in deep sleep mode between uses.

On the Security Front: Confidence with Caveats

As always with Ledger, your keys never leave the Secure Element chip. Every signature is verified on-device. But Ledger Stax isn’t air-gapped—it uses Bluetooth and USB-C to connect. For most users, that’s perfectly safe. For the ultra-paranoid (like I sometimes am), it’s worth noting that the attack surface is theoretically larger than a QR-only wallet like the NGRAVE ZERO, Coldcard Q or Keystone 3 Pro.

Also worth mentioning: the firmware is closed-source. Ledger Live is open, yes—but the device itself runs proprietary code. This has always been controversial, especially after the 2023 “Recover” drama. To be fair, Ledger made a Recover opt-in and emphasized that your keys can’t leave the chip without your physical confirmation and PIN. Still, transparency matters. And if open-source code is a non-negotiable for you, this device may not fit your philosophy.

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Rating (Overall: 4.3/5)

Ledger Stax: A Cold Wallet for the Touchscreen Era

Ledger Stax is what happens when hardware wallets grow up. With its curved E Ink display, wireless charging, and sleek magnetic design, it’s easily the most modern-looking and user-friendly device Ledger has ever made. It's a wallet that doesn’t need to be hidden—it can sit proudly on your desk or in your stack.

It also brings a subtle but important bump in security: the Secure Element in the Stax is certified at CC EAL6+, compared to EAL5+ in the Nano X. That’s a higher assurance level in the Common Criteria framework, meaning the chip has gone through more rigorous security testing.

Still, it’s worth being clear: in practical terms, the leap in day-to-day security between the Nano X and the Stax isn’t night and day. The real upgrades are in the experience—wireless signing, better visibility, easier navigation, and NFT display support.

At €399, it's a premium device—and priced like one. For the same cost, security-focused users could split their funds across two air-gapped wallets—a Keystone 3 Pro for NFTs and altcoins, and a Coincard Q for long-term Bitcoin storage. That approach would arguably offer greater isolation and resilience.

Ledger Stax isn’t the most secure wallet on the market, but it is the most refined. If you want a beautifully designed, easy-to-use device with solid security credentials, it's a great choice. Just don’t expect it to be a fortress beyond its price tag. It’s a luxury tool—ideal for users who care as much about the feel of managing crypto as the safety of it.

Lukas is your trusted guide for navigating the best crypto hardware wallets of 2025. Their deep dives cut through the noise, empowering you to protect your digital assets. Explore more of their invaluable resources here:

• Best Bitcoin-Only Hardware Wallets of 2025 – For maximalists who value simplicity and sovereignty.
• Best Metal Seed Phrase Backups in 2025 – The only way to protect your seed words from fire, water, and time.
• Top 20 Hardware Wallets for Crypto Cold Storage – A complete guide to the most secure and trusted devices available today.
• Best Biometric Hardware Wallets in 2025 – Because privacy and convenience don’t have to be opposites.
• Best Credit Card-Sized Hardware Wallets in 2025 – Perfect for semi-cold storage and covert carry.
• Top 6 Hardware Wallets for NFTs in 2025 – Yes, even your digital collectibles deserve cold storage.

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FAQ

• Does Ledger Stax support XRP?

Yes. XRP is natively supported. You can send, receive, and hold XRP securely using Ledger Live and verify addresses directly on the touchscreen display.

• Can Ledger Stax be used with MetaMask?

Yes. You can connect Ledger Stax via USB or Bluetooth (mobile only) to MetaMask, allowing you to interact with DeFi platforms while keeping private keys stored on the device.

• Is the Ledger Stax air-gapped?

No. It uses Bluetooth and USB-C to communicate. Your private keys stay within the Secure Element, but this is not a truly air-gapped solution like NGRAVE ZERO.

• What happens if I lose my Ledger Stax?

Your assets are safe as long as you have your 24-word recovery phrase. You can restore it on another Ledger device, or any BIP-39-compatible wallet.

• Can Ledger Stax display NFTs?

Yes. The E Ink screen can display static images from NFT collections, allowing you to customize your wallet’s appearance and identify which one is which if you own multiple.

• Is Ledger Stax firmware open source?

Partially. Ledger Live and much of the infrastructure are open-source, but the firmware running on the device is not. Ledger says this is to protect the Secure Element from tampering.

Testimonials

Special thanks to Rhett Reisman and Cyber Scrilla for their in-depth tutorials. Their content was invaluable in helping me confidently set up and use my Ledger Stax the right way:

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Rhett Reisman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-t11Fc_BUw

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