Ledger halts Southeast Asia sales after tampered devices discovered

Ledger, a major producer of hardware wallets used to secure cryptocurrency holdings, has ceased sales throughout Southeast Asia after security breaches involving tampered devices were identified in Singapore and the region.

The company discovered that malicious actors had compromised physical devices before they reached consumers, potentially allowing unauthorised access to digital assets stored on the wallets. The exact scope of the breach remains under investigation, though blockchain analysts have preliminarily traced approximately US$86 million in cryptocurrency transfers linked to the compromised devices.

The suspension marks a significant disruption to the cryptocurrency security market in the region, as Ledger's hardware wallets are among the most widely used solutions for protecting digital assets in Southeast Asia. The company has not yet disclosed the full extent of affected devices or provided a timeline for resuming operations.

Hardware wallets are considered among the most secure methods for storing cryptocurrency because they keep private keys offline. The discovery of tampered devices raises concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities and has prompted increased scrutiny of hardware wallet manufacturers' distribution networks across the region.

Ledger has advised affected users to contact support and stated it is cooperating with authorities to investigate the incident and prevent future occurrences.