Third Ledger Hack in Six Years Reveals a Pattern Beyond Wallets

Key Insights:

• Ledger hack cases repeatedly expose customer data, not private keys or funds.
• Centralized partners, not wallets, remain the weakest point in crypto security.
• User awareness matters more as scams target people, not cryptography.

The third Ledger hack in six years has raised fresh concerns across crypto custody. Each time, fear spreads about wallet safety, and the conclusion is the same.

In this crypto hack, private keys were not touched, and the funds were not stolen. There was a different problem in sight.

This incident showed that the weakest link in crypto security is not the wallet, but the centralized systems built around it. Let us know how!

A Closer Look into the Ledger Hack

The January 2026 Ledger data leak did not involve Ledger devices or Ledger Wallet software. The issue appeared during the purchase process instead. Ledger uses Global-e, an external e-commerce and logistics service, to handle orders placed on its website.

Attackers gained unauthorized access to Global-e’s database. This exposed crypto hack customer names, email addresses, phone numbers, shipping addresses, and order details for purchases made since late 2023.

No payment card data, passwords, or recovery phrases were leaked or accessed, ensuring sensitive user information remains secure.

Ledger hardware wallets remained secure because they are self-custodial. Global-e never had access to private keys, wallet balances, or recovery words.

This incident follows a clear history. In 2020, a breach tied to an e-commerce partner exposed personal data for hundreds of thousands of Ledger customers.

In December 2023, a supply-chain attack on the Ledger Connect Kit allowed attackers to drain funds from users who connected to compromised apps, while hardware wallets stayed secure.

In April 2025, another supposed customer data exposure was reported, again involving personal information rather than crypto assets.

Different years. Different systems. Same outcome.

This Keeps Happening Even in 2025–2026

Crypto wallets are designed to remove trust. Private keys stay offline. Transactions need physical confirmation.

The problem starts before and after the wallet is used. Customer databases are centralized.

They live online. They store large amounts of personal data in one place. That makes them easier to attack than cryptography.

When personal data leaks, attackers do not need to break wallets. They target people. Armed with email addresses and phone numbers, scammers dispatch fake support messages.

Simultaneously, with order details, they craft convincing scams, and with home addresses, they resort to delivery or security threats. This is how losses often happen after data leaks.

The Ledger incidents show the same pattern seen across crypto. Wallets protect keys well. Centralized services around them do not. And that is what was breached during this latest Ledger data leak

Is the Crypto Industry at Risk?

The Ledger hack does not mean hardware wallets are unsafe. It means wallet security alone is not enough.

Self-custody protects private keys, not personal identity. Centralized systems still handle orders, shipping, emails, and support. When those systems fail, users become the target.

Ledger has repeated a simple rule after the breach. It will never ask for recovery phrases. It will never contact users through phone calls, SMS, or messaging apps. Any message asking for secret words is always a scam.

For users, security now depends on habits as much as tools. Verify sources. Ignore unexpected messages. Question urgency.

For the crypto industry, the lesson is obvious. Security cannot stop at hardware and code. It must include how data is collected, stored, and shared.

Six years and three Ledger data leak instances (ones with data) point to the same truth. The weakest link in crypto wallet security is not the wallet. It is the centralized systems built around it.