Slow Fog Founder Yu Xian: After the Ledger Dealer Incident, Hardware Wallet Disassembly Self-Destruction Mechanism May Become a Necessary Feature
Yu Xian, founder of Slow Fog, posted on platform X stating that after the Ledger dealer incident, the hardware wallet's disassembly self-destruction mechanism may become a necessary feature; otherwise, there needs to be another mechanism to prove that the device in the user's hand is an official original product.
In response, Mindao, founder of dForce, believes that if disassembly leads to self-destruction, it would make it even harder to prove whether the device has been modified. A removable design at least allows for verification against circuit diagrams. He also pointed out that Ledger's official website has provided a hardware integrity check guide, but it is too technical for ordinary users.
The discussion background is the recent reports of financial losses related to Ledger's Southeast Asia authorized dealers, as well as observations of some devices suspected of having hidden modules implanted. Yu Xian proposed disassembly self-destruction as a means to prevent post-modification, while Mindao emphasized that verifiability takes precedence over self-destruction.
Mindao noted that a self-destruction mechanism would prevent users or third parties from directly verifying the internal structure of the device, while an open disassembly would at least allow for checking against official circuit diagrams for the presence of additional modules. Ledger's official guide requires users to perform physical checks, but the operational threshold is quite high.
Currently, the situation regarding implanted devices still awaits independent verification, and Ledger's investigation is ongoing. The discussion between Yu Xian and Mindao focuses on how future hardware wallet designs should balance anti-tampering and user verifiability.
The flow of funds and devices is concentrated on hardware wallets purchased through authorized or third-party channels, with the burden falling on users and manufacturers who doubt channel integrity, while the beneficiaries are those who can provide independently verifiable design solutions.
Source: Public Information
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As the founder of Slow Fog, Yu Xian has long publicly analyzed risks related to phishing, counterfeit devices, and supply chains for hardware wallets, previously warning about methods that lure users into inputting mnemonic phrases with fake Ledger devices. Mindao, the founder of dForce, participated in the early construction of DeFi protocols and has focused on system design boundaries after security incidents.
After the dealer incident, Yu Xian proposed disassembly self-destruction as a default protection, shifting resource investment towards proving physical integrity. Mindao, on the other hand, emphasizes the verification capability of removable designs against circuit diagrams, arguing that self-destruction would close off verification paths. The two approaches correspond to design choices of "destruction is irreversible" and "openness allows for comparison."
Similar discussions can be seen in other secure hardware fields, such as the trade-offs between anti-tampering and auditability in some USB security tokens or modules, as well as the design of consumer electronics that allow for open disassembly for repair and verification. The current hardware wallet industry is transitioning from reliance on secure components and official channel trust to a stage where it must address supply chain implants and independent user verification.
Essentially, this is a choice of technical path: the core contradiction of hardware wallets lies in the verification loop between private key protection and device physical integrity. The mechanism requires that the mnemonic must be displayed in plaintext on the screen once, allowing attackers to implant bypasses before delivery; disassembly self-destruction can prevent post-modification but simultaneously hinders user verification, while open designs allow for checking against official materials for additional modules, ultimately pushing manufacturers to redistribute trust boundaries between "anti-tampering" and "verifiable."
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