How to use Ledger with Hyperliquid

How a hardware wallet fits here

Ledger is not in the connect dialog, and it does not need to be. The device is a signer, not a website connector.

You pair it with MetaMask or Rabby, the extension shows your Ledger address as one of its accounts, and Hyperliquid sees an ordinary address like any other. Each time something needs signing, the extension hands it to the device and you confirm on the hardware screen.

Rabby is the better host of the two here, because it simulates a request and describes it in words before the device asks you to confirm. A hardware screen tells you less than a good preview does; using both means you see the request twice, described two different ways.

The part that surprises people

This is the right mental model for the whole setup: the hardware protects the exit, not the keyboard. A compromised browser could place terrible orders with the agent key. It could not send your balance anywhere.

For a trading account that is a sensible split, because the funds are what an attacker wants and the orders are what you want to be fast.

Connecting

1. Pair the Ledger with MetaMask or Rabby

   Unlock the device and open the Ethereum app on it, then add the hardware account in the extension. Nothing Hyperliquid-specific happens at this stage.

   You should see the device address showing as an account in the extension

2. Open the app through a referral link

   The 4% discount attaches only to an address that has never traded. On a hardware account this is even more worth getting right first time, because the fix is a new account rather than a setting.

   You should see an invitation panel naming the code, before you connect

3. Click Connect, then MetaMask or Rabby

   Check the extension is on the hardware account and not on a software one it also holds. Both are ordinary addresses to Hyperliquid, and only one of them is protected by the device.

   You should see the extension connecting with the Ledger account selected

4. Accept the terms, then confirm the signature on the device

   Read the primary type on the device. It should say AcceptTerms. This is a typed message, so what the screen shows is meaningful rather than a hash.

   You should see a Hyperliquid:AcceptTerms message shown on the Ledger screen

5. Click Establish Connection and confirm ApproveAgent on the device

   This is the agent authorisation. Confirm it on the hardware, and that is the last time the device is needed until you withdraw.

   You should see the order ticket becoming active, with the device idle from then on

What still needs the device

Keep the device somewhere you can reach it. An account you cannot withdraw from because the Ledger is in another country is a self-inflicted version of the problem hardware exists to prevent.

Where the protection ends

Being honest about the limits is more useful than a list of reassurances.

It does not stop bad orders. Anything with access to your browser session can trade the account. Position sizing and stops are your protection there, not the device.

It does not stop you approving the wrong thing. A hardware wallet asks you to confirm; it does not know whether you should. Reading the primary type on the screen is the whole defence, and it takes two seconds.

It does not help against a phishing domain, on its own. A clone can produce a legitimate-looking signature request. What defeats that is checking the domain and using a wallet that previews the effect, which is why Rabby plus Ledger is a better pair than MetaMask plus Ledger.

The safety guide covers the rest of the threat model, including what the exchange itself can and cannot do.

What it costs once you are trading

The device has no bearing on fees. At the entry tier a taker order is 0.045% of notional, or 0.0432% with a code applied before the first trade.

Troubleshooting

The extension cannot see the device. Unlock it and open the Ethereum app on the device itself. Most “not detected” cases are one of those two.

The signature request is rejected. Some devices need blind signing enabled for typed data. Check the setting in the Ethereum app, and read the request carefully once it appears.

The device shows a hash rather than readable fields. Update the Ethereum app on the device. Typed messages should display their type and contents.

Connected to the wrong address. The extension holds several accounts and only one is the hardware one. Switch account in the extension, then reconnect; your positions and fee tier belong to whichever address opened them.

Where to go next

The wallet comparison covers all six chooser options. If you want the signature-preview behaviour described above, Rabby is the extension to pair with.