ColdfrontHow to use a Ledger on Hyperliquid without connecting it every time
Authorize a Hyperliquid API wallet with your Ledger once, then store that API key in Coldfront, a free Chrome extension. Coldfront gives the API key to the official Hyperliquid app while it's unlocked, so you trade from your Ledger's account without connecting the Ledger. Withdrawals still need the Ledger.
Hyperliquid's own Enable Trading approval expires after 14 days, so without this your Ledger has to sign again every two weeks. An API wallet can last up to 180 days. Why the 14 days.
This works with the Ledger Nano S Plus, Nano X, Flex or Stax, and with any Ledger that can sign for an Ethereum account.
Connect your Ledger to Hyperliquid
Install the Ethereum app on the Ledger with Ledger Wallet (the app that used to be called Ledger Live). In MetaMask or Rabby, add the Ledger as a hardware wallet and choose the account you want to trade from. Then open app.hyperliquid.xyz, press Connect, and pick that browser wallet.
When Hyperliquid asks for a signature, the Ethereum app on the Ledger shows it on the device screen. Read it there before you approve.
Why the Ledger has to be connected in the first place
Hyperliquid runs in the browser, so the Ledger reaches it through a browser wallet. The app asks the Ledger to sign when you enable trading, when you enable trading again in another browser, and when you withdraw or move funds. That keeps your funds safe, but it also means a browser wallet connected to a trading site and the device close by. A connected wallet is also what fake sites go after: a connect prompt and one signature.
Trade without connecting the Ledger
- Authorize an API wallet with your Ledger. Open app.hyperliquid.xyz/API with the Ledger connected. Enter a name, press Generate and copy the private key it shows: that's the API key, and it's shown once. Press Authorize and confirm on the Ledger.
- Store the API key in Coldfront. Install Coldfront, paste the API key, and pick a passphrase. Add Touch ID (passkey) if you like. Coldfront shows the API wallet address it worked out from the API key, so you can check it matches the API page.
- Disconnect the Ledger and trade. Disconnect the browser wallet from Hyperliquid and put the Ledger away. Unlock Coldfront, open app.hyperliquid.xyz, and trade as usual. The official app shows your Ledger's account and signs orders with the API key.
Coldfront locks after the time you choose, when your computer goes idle, or when you close the last Hyperliquid tab. Locking reloads every Hyperliquid tab, so the app forgets the API key.
What the Ledger still signs
- Authorizing the API wallet, and renewing it (it lasts up to 180 days).
- Withdrawals.
- Moving funds between accounts.
Before you start
Coldfront is free and works with Hyperliquid accounts that joined with Hyperliquid referral code COLDFRONT, which takes 4% off your trading fees. If your Ledger account has never used a referral code, Coldfront adds COLDFRONT during setup when you press Apply code. If it already uses another code, add a second account on the Ledger and follow the new account guide.
Questions
Can I use a Ledger on Hyperliquid?
Yes. Connect the Ledger through a browser wallet such as MetaMask or Rabby and it controls a normal Hyperliquid account. To trade without connecting it every time, authorize an API wallet with it once and use Coldfront.
Do I have to sign with my Ledger for every trade on Hyperliquid?
No. When you press Enable Trading, the Ledger signs once and Hyperliquid's app keeps a trading key in the browser, so orders don't need the device. That key lasts 14 days, so the Ledger has to sign again every two weeks, and again when you enable trading in another browser. An API wallet that you authorize yourself can last up to 180 days. Coldfront gives that API key to the official app, so the Ledger signs about twice a year.
Does the Ledger need to be connected while I trade?
Not with Coldfront. The Ledger signs once to authorize an API wallet. After that, Coldfront gives the API key to the official Hyperliquid app while it's unlocked, and the Ledger can stay disconnected until you withdraw or renew the API wallet.
Can Coldfront withdraw from my Ledger's account?
No. The API key Coldfront holds can place, change and cancel orders. Hyperliquid doesn't let an API wallet withdraw, send, transfer or approve other wallets, so those still need your Ledger.
What if I lose my Ledger?
Your Hyperliquid account belongs to the address, not the device. Restore your recovery phrase on a new Ledger (or another wallet) and you have the account back. The API wallet keeps working until it expires or you revoke it, but withdrawals need the restored wallet.