Ledger Halts Reseller Sales in 7 Asian Markets in Tampering Probe

Ledger has asked resellers and distributors across seven Asian markets to stop selling its hardware wallets and take them off store shelves while it investigates devices fitted with a hidden implant. The request covers Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong, and was announced in a post on X dated Oct. 13, 2026, according to Blockonomi.

The pause widens a response that began with a single regional reseller, CryptoBilis. Decrypt and News.bitcoin both reported that the scare originated with wallets bought through that Southeast Asian reseller, and it has since drawn in a European electronics chain, a rival wallet maker and an unverified loss figure in the tens of millions.

Key facts

• Ledger asked sellers in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong to suspend sales and remove devices from shelves, per its Oct. 13 post on X.
• The company said the only confirmed incidents remain contained to Southeast Asia and that it has not verified a drain linked to a device bought elsewhere.
• The investigation went public on Oct. 9, 2026, after reports of stolen crypto tied to Ledger devices bought through CryptoBilis.
• Ledger’s Donjon security team found an implant that reads the 24-word recovery phrase from a device’s screen during setup and sends it out over LTE, according to Decrypt.
• Ledger said there is no indication that its infrastructure, systems, services or direct sales channel have been compromised.

What investigators have established

Ledger’s Donjon, its in-house security research team, is examining returned devices to identify who altered the hardware and where in the distribution chain the tampering occurred. News.bitcoin reported that the implant could transmit the recovery phrase using an eSIM; Decrypt described the same mechanism as sending the phrase out over LTE. Anyone holding a 24-word recovery phrase can restore a wallet and move its funds.

The two outlets differ on the scale of suspected losses. Decrypt reported that onchain investigator Specter traced more than $86 million in suspected thefts connected to the case, a figure Ledger says it has not verified. News.bitcoin put suspected losses tied to devices sold via CryptoBilis at up to $93.4 million. Both figures are external estimates rather than company-confirmed totals.

Europe and rival wallets drawn in

The problem is not confined to one region. Decrypt and News.bitcoin both reported that MediaMarkt Saturn, a European electronics chain, stopped selling Ledger devices in stores and online on Oct. 13 with the company’s agreement, after a customer in Germany reported finding an implant. Ledger said no funds were lost in that case.

Trezor, which competes with Ledger in the hardware wallet market, said on Tuesday that it will end authorizations for resellers on Jan. 1, 2027, describing the move as a precautionary measure. Trezor said there was no evidence that its own devices had been compromised.

Why it matters

Hardware wallets are bought precisely because they keep private keys offline, so any sign of tampering before a device reaches its owner undermines the core promise of the product. The sales halt affects shoppers in seven markets who can no longer buy Ledger devices through resellers, and shifts attention to a distribution chain the company does not fully control. It also raises the stakes for Ledger’s reputation at a time when a competing manufacturer is tightening its own reseller network.

For buyers, the practical effect is that a device purchased through an unauthorised or unverified channel may arrive compromised even though the manufacturer’s own systems were untouched.

What to watch

Ledger has not said when sales in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong could resume, and its investigation into who tampered with the devices and where in the chain it happened is ongoing. The next signals will be the results of the Donjon’s analysis of returned devices and whether Ledger extends or narrows the suspension. This article is not financial advice, and crypto markets remain volatile and uncertain.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not investment, financial or trading advice. Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile. Always do your own research.

Sources: Blockonomi, Decrypt, News.bitcoin