Ledger faces backlash for $849 Atom launch days after $86M hack

After an $86 million draining hack that forced it to suspend multiple resellers, Ledger unveiled its new $849 Atom wallet and has been criticized for failing to “read the room.”

Users on X have described Ledger’s Atom announcement as the “worst timing ever,” while others argued the launch should have been delayed.

Whoever thought it's a good idea announcing a new product right after everything that took place recently needs to be fired asap

— tøny (@tonyler_) October 15, 2026

The Atom, which Ledger says is “not designed to replace your phone,” is a security-focused Android device that looks like a phone but lacks calling and texting abilities.

Per The Verge, it will use an eSIM restricted to data only. Users can download apps, meaning data can still be used for internet-based messages and calls.

Earlier Ledger wallets were compact enough to fit easily in a pocket. Whether users will want to carry what is effectively a second phone remains unclear.

The device runs on Android OS and Ledger-OS, its own system that handles “transactions, logins, and sensitive data.” It also comes with a “privacy switch” that claims to disconnect the camera and microphone at the circuit level.

Ledger attributes hack to 'organized criminal group'

Last week, Ledger users experienced a draining attack exceeding $86 million that used spyware implanted in devices sold by official Malaysian reseller CryptoBilis.

A “highly organized criminal group” spent “millions” installing spyware on Ledger wallets, the company revealed today.

It claims the attackers “built their own logistics and technology infrastructure with seeds collector servers, draining and laundering infrastructures.”

Ledger broadens suspension of official reseller wallet sales

Ledger also announced this week that it had asked 23 official resellers across South Asia to suspend sales after tampered devices were discovered.

It also disclosed yesterday that it could not find “any sign of tampering” with devices from its official German reseller MediaMrkt, and that “no loss of funds related to implants has been reported anywhere in Europe.”