Ledger drew criticism after unveiling its new $849 Atom device just days after a draining attack against its users stole more than $86 million. On X, users called the announcement poorly timed, with some saying the company should have waited before introducing a new product.
One X user, tøny, wrote on October 15, 2026: “Whoever thought it's a good idea announcing a new product right after everything that took place recently needs to be fired asap.”
Atom is pitched as a security-first Android device
Ledger said Atom is “not designed to replace your phone.” The product is a security-focused Android device that looks like a phone, but it cannot make calls or send text messages in the usual way.
According to The Verge, the device will use an eSIM limited to data only. Users can still download apps, which means data connectivity could still be used for internet-based messages and calls in practice.
Earlier Ledger wallets were small enough to fit into a pocket without much hassle. Atom changes that form factor. Whether users will want to carry what is effectively a second phone remains an open question.
The device runs on Android OS and Ledger-OS, Ledger’s own system for handling “transactions, logins, and sensitive data.” It also includes a so-called “privacy switch,” which the company says cuts “the camera and mic at the circuit level.”
Ledger links the hack to an organized criminal group
Last week, Ledger users were hit by a draining attack worth more than $86 million. The attack involved spyware implanted in devices sold by official Malaysian reseller CryptoBilis.
Ledger said a “highly organized criminal group” spent “millions” to install spyware on its wallet devices. The company said the attackers “built their own logistics and technology infrastructure with seeds collector servers, draining and laundering infrastructures.”
Sales halt widened across official resellers
Ledger also said this week that it had asked 23 official resellers across South Asia to suspend wallet sales after tampered devices were discovered.
Separately, Ledger said yesterday that it found “any sign of tampering” in none of the devices from its official German reseller MediaMrkt, and that “no loss of funds related to implants has been reported anywhere in Europe.”
The story was first reported by Protos.