Ledger Wallet Co-Founder Safety Rumors Spark Industry Concern

The crypto industry was abuzz with concern on January 22, 2025, as rumors of a personal safety situation involving Éric Larchevêque, co-founder of Ledger, the world’s most popular crypto hardware wallet, began circulating. The rumors, which suggested a possible kidnapping or ransom situation, were quickly debunked by sources close to Larchevêque, but not before causing widespread panic among crypto owners who rely on Ledger devices for secure transaction signatures.

Background on Ledger and Its Security Features

Ledger is renowned for its secure hardware wallets, including the Stax, Flex, and Nano series, which generate public/private keypairs and facilitate secure transaction signatures without sharing keys in any cloud or distributed service. Recently, Ledger introduced Ledger Recover, an opt-in service that stores hashed shards of customers’ keypairs in Ledger-maintained storage, assuring customers that the service has not been compromised.

The Rumor and Its Impact

The rumor, which originated from a tweet by Coin Academy’s French-language X account, quickly spread across social media, with some users posting fake pictures of alleged perpetrators. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (“CZ”) tweeted concern without committing to any particular set of facts, then deleted his tweet. Journalist Grégory Raymond, a source close to Larchevêque, clarified that “Eric is safe, it’s the only thing I can communicate at the moment.”

Industry Reaction and Implications

The incident highlights the importance of reliable information and the potential for misinformation to spread rapidly in the crypto community. According to Raymond, Larchevêque “is not involved in the kidnapping rumor.” The situation underscores the need for crypto users to remain vigilant and verify information through trusted sources.

Expert Insights

Grégory Raymond, a journalist close to Larchevêque, emphasized the importance of verifying information: “It’s crucial to check the facts before spreading rumors. In this case, Eric is safe, and there’s no truth to the kidnapping rumor.”

Conclusion

The recent rumors surrounding Éric Larchevêque’s safety serve as a reminder of the importance of reliable information and the potential for misinformation to spread rapidly in the crypto community. Ledger’s commitment to security and transparency remains unchanged, and users are advised to verify information through trusted sources to avoid unnecessary panic.

Key Points:

• Rumors of a personal safety situation involving Éric Larchevêque, co-founder of Ledger, were debunked by sources close to him.
• Ledger’s security features, including Ledger Recover, remain uncompromised.
• The incident highlights the need for reliable information and vigilance in the crypto community.
• Expert insights emphasize the importance of verifying information before spreading rumors.

Sources:

1. Protos – “Ledger co-founder kidnap rumor confuses wallet users” (2025-01-22)
2. Coin Bureau – “Compare The Top 6 Crypto Hardware Wallets In 2025” (2025-01-22)
3. BitDegree – “Ledger Flex vs Zengo: Price, Security & Features (2025)” (2025-01-22)

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