Ledger Nano S: discontinued, here is the replacement
Security warning
Do not buy a Ledger Nano S: it was manufactured from 2016 to 2022, sits on Ledger's official list of discontinued products, and its direct successor, the Nano S Plus, costs just $59. If you already own one, it still works: existing units keep signing transactions for the assets they support, but no new-feature firmware and no new-chain support are coming.
Launched in 2016, the Nano S sold millions of units and did more than any other single device to make cold storage a normal consumer purchase. Its weakness was always memory: the chip fits only a small handful of coin apps at once (roughly three to five, depending on the apps), so managing a diverse portfolio meant constantly deleting and reinstalling apps. The 128 x 32 pixel screen and micro-USB connector also aged badly next to later devices.
If you hold keys on a Nano S today, there is no need to panic: your coins live on the blockchain, and the device still signs. When you are ready to upgrade, set up a Nano S Plus and either restore your 24-word recovery phrase or, better, generate a fresh seed on the new device and send your funds over. The Nano S Plus keeps the same button-and-screen format with a larger 128 x 64 pixel screen, far more app memory, and USB-C for $59. Ledger's current line runs from that entry model up through the $79 Nano X, the $179 Nano Gen5, and the touchscreen Flex at $249 and Stax at $399.
- Made by
- Ledger
- Type
- Hardware device
- Runs on
- Android, Windows, macOS, Linux
- Who holds the keys
- self-custodial, keys held in a certified secure element chip
- Bitcoin only
- No, multi-asset
- Screen
- 128 x 32 pixel monochrome OLED with two physical buttons
- Connectivity
- Micro-USB cable; no battery or Bluetooth
- Released
- 2016
- Coin support
- Signs the major assets it already supports, but memory fits only a few apps at once and no new chains are being added
The replacement: Ledger Nano S Plus
Ledger retired the Ledger Nano S; the Ledger Nano S Plus is its direct successor with current firmware support.
Pros and cons
What works
- Existing units still sign transactions for the assets they already support
- Proved the hardware wallet category, with millions of units sold between 2016 and 2022
- Uses a Secure Element chip, the same basic security model as current Ledger devices
What to watch
- Formally discontinued: no new-feature firmware and no new-chain support
- App memory fits only about three to five coin apps at once, so multi-asset use means constant reinstalling
- Small 128 x 32 screen and micro-USB connector; the $59 Nano S Plus fixes both
- No longer sold by Ledger, so a unit bought secondhand has an unknown supply chain
Wallets that still work
- Ledger Nano S PlusLedger's $59 entry device: the same certified secure element as the $399 Stax, no Bluetooth, and no iPhone support at all.
- Ledger Nano XThe cheapest Ledger with Bluetooth, now $79 on Ledger's own store, and the one to buy if you want to sign from a phone.
- Trezor Safe 3Trezor's $59 entry device, pairing a certified secure element with fully open source firmware and two physical buttons.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use my Ledger Nano S?
Yes. Existing units still sign transactions for the assets they support, and your coins live on the blockchain, not on the device. But the model gets no new-feature firmware or new-chain support, so plan to migrate to a current device on your own schedule.
What replaced the Ledger Nano S?
The Ledger Nano S Plus, launched in 2022, is the direct successor and Ledger's current $59 entry model. It keeps the same two-button format but adds a larger 128 x 64 pixel screen, much more app memory, and USB-C.
Do I need to move my crypto off a Nano S right away?
No, there is no immediate danger. When you do upgrade, consider generating a fresh seed on the new device and sending funds over, rather than restoring the old recovery phrase, so your keys start clean on maintained hardware.
Why was the Ledger Nano S discontinued?
It was manufactured from 2016 to 2022, and its small memory could not keep up with modern multi-app use. Ledger moved it to its discontinued products list and replaced it with the Nano S Plus at the same entry price point.
Should I buy a used Ledger Nano S?
No. A secondhand hardware wallet can arrive with a recovery phrase the seller already knows, and this model is out of production and out of feature support. Buy a new device from the manufacturer and generate the seed yourself.