Ledger unveils $849 Atom wallet after tampered devices turn up in Asia: check where you bought yours

Hardware wallet maker Ledger unveiled a new device, the Atom, priced at $849 (about Rs 235,000 at today's dollar rate), on Thursday 15 October, Cointelegraph reported. Shipping is expected in summer 2027.

The launch came straight after a report of malicious implants in Ledger wallets sold through an authorised reseller, CryptoBilis. Ledger asked distributors in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong to suspend sales, and the electronics chain MediaMarkt pulled Ledger wallets from its shelves, according to Cointelegraph.

What the Atom does

• Keeps Android apps separate from the parts of the device that sign transactions.
• Is advertised to detect tampering even while it is switched off.
• Will support approvals for AI agents, encrypted messaging and post-quantum cryptography, Ledger says.

If you hold crypto on a hardware wallet

Pakistanis who keep coins on a hardware wallet usually buy them from abroad or from local online sellers, so the reseller case matters here. Simple checks:

1. Buy only from the maker's own store or a reseller the maker lists. A wallet from a marketplace or a WhatsApp seller is a risk however cheap it is.
2. Never use a recovery phrase that came with the box. A genuine wallet makes you create your own 24 words when you set it up.
3. Run the maker's genuine-device check in its official app before you move any coins to it.
4. Never type your recovery phrase into a phone, computer or website. No support agent will ever ask for it.

The market

Bitcoin was trading near $81,400 early on Saturday, according to our Bitcoin price page, and Ether near $2,416 (Ether price).