Supported Coins & Apps — Which Coins Work With Your Device

Quick overview: how coin support works

Hardware wallets keep your private keys inside a secure element (secure chip) and use coin-specific apps to format and sign transactions without exposing private keys to the internet. The companion manager on your desktop or mobile installs and removes those coin apps. Third-party wallets (browser extensions or mobile apps) often act as the user interface that requests the device to sign a transaction.

Think of it like this: the secure element is the safe, coin apps are the tools inside the safe, and the companion or third-party apps are the screens you use to tell the tool what to do. I’ve been using hardware wallets since 2017 and what I’ve found is that the basic architecture is consistent, even if exact app names and compatibility vary.

Screenshot placeholder: app manager showing installed apps

Which coins are in my wallet? — Step by step

Want a quick answer to "which coins are in my wallet"? Follow these steps.

Connect the device to the official companion manager (desktop or mobile) and unlock it.
Open the manager and look at the list of installed apps (or installed accounts). That list shows which coin apps are currently present on-device.
In the companion UI, look for created accounts. Installed app ≠ created account; you may have an app installed but no account created yet.
For each account, copy the receiving address from the companion app and verify the same address on the device screen (always confirm on-device).
If you don’t see a token (for example, an ERC-20 token), check the token list inside the account view or add it through the companion or a trusted third-party wallet.

And yes, uninstalling an app doesn’t delete your funds — the private keys stay safe (stored by the seed phrase/recovery phrase). But always confirm you have a verified backup before changing app configuration. See the guide on installing apps and managing space for detailed screenshots and platform-specific steps.

Common coin categories and how they map to apps

Below is a high-level coin app mapping. Support varies by model and companion software, so treat this as a pattern rather than a guarantee.

Coin / Category	How it’s managed	Typical notes
Bitcoin (BTC)	Native device app	Often fully supported with SegWit/Bech32 options; UTXO model.
Ethereum (ETH) + ERC-20	Ethereum app on-device + token list in UI	ERC-20 tokens share the same private keys as ETH (same account). See ERC-20 guide.
Solana (SPL tokens)	Often requires a third-party wallet UI	Many devices support Solana signing but you may need a specific wallet for account management.
Cardano / Tezos	Native or third-party app	Staking and delegation flows may use separate interfaces. See staking & delegation.
Privacy coins (Monero)	Usually third-party-only	Monero often needs a specialized wallet because of its protocol differences. See Monero guide.
UTXO altcoins (LTC, DOGE)	Native apps	Similar maintenance to Bitcoin but check address formats.

For a full compatibility list and model-specific notes, check the wallet compatibility matrix and supported cryptocurrencies.

ERC-20 support (and other token standards)

How do ERC-20 tokens work? They aren’t separate private keys — they’re smart contracts on Ethereum controlled by your ETH account. That means managing ERC-20 tokens typically requires the Ethereum app on-device plus a UI that reads token balances (the companion or a trusted web/mobile wallet).

If a token doesn’t appear automatically, add it as a custom token in the UI (contract address, decimals). I noticed in my testing that token discovery is automatic for big tokens but small or new tokens often need a manual add.

For token-heavy users (DeFi, many small ERC-20s), using a wallet UI that supports token management makes life easier. See ethereum-erc20-setup for step-by-step instructions.

Unsupported tokens: why they happen and what to do

Sometimes a token you hold won’t display. Why?

It’s on an unsupported chain. Not every hardware wallet supports every blockchain.
The token is non-standard or a new custom contract.
The companion or third-party UI hasn’t indexed the token.

What can you do? Add the token manually in a trusted UI, use a third-party wallet that supports the token, or (only as a last resort) move the asset to an exchange if you need immediate liquidity — but that sacrifices self-custody. Never paste your seed phrase into a website to "import" tokens.

More on this and practical workarounds is in unsupported tokens and third-party compatibility.

App storage and managing space on the device

Hardware wallets have limited storage for installed apps. That can lead to questions like "How many coins can I manage at once?" The answer depends on app sizes and device model.

But here’s a practical tip: uninstalling an app removes only the app, not the private keys. After reinstalling the app and restoring the account(s) using your seed phrase (and passphrase if used), your funds reappear.

If you manage many chains, plan your app set and use the companion manager to install only what you need. See install-apps-manage-space for the step-by-step process.

Multi-signature & advanced setups

Multi-signature (multisig) setups split control across multiple keys and dramatically reduce single-point-of-failure risk. Sounds great — but multisig requires compatible wallets and slightly more complexity in everyday use.

I’ve configured multisig setups for BTC and found that while security is much higher, day-to-day spending becomes more involved because multiple devices (or cosigners) must sign transactions. If you’re storing life-changing amounts, multisig is worth the trade-off. See multisig-setups and multisig-setup-ledger for tools and compatibility notes.

Checks, firmware, and best practices

Always: verify firmware authenticity before updating. Firmware ensures the device’s secure element operates correctly with the companion manager. Also double-check that any third-party wallet you use is reputable.

Common mistakes I still see: buying from unofficial sellers, expecting every token to show automatically, and using passphrases without a recovery plan. For step-by-step firmware checks see firmware-updates-and-verification. For seed phrase handling and backups see seed-phrase-basics and backup-metal-slip39.

FAQ — Real user questions

Q: Can I recover my crypto if the device breaks? A: Yes — with your seed phrase/recovery phrase you can restore on a compatible device or supported software wallet. See recovery-when-device-breaks.

Q: What happens if the company behind the device goes bankrupt? A: Your private keys are yours. As long as standards like BIP-39/BIP-44 are used (and you have your seed phrase), you can restore elsewhere. But some chains or features may need specific software support. See company-bankruptcy-and-business-risk.

Q: Is Bluetooth safe for hardware wallets? A: Bluetooth increases convenience but adds an attack surface. For high-value transactions I prefer USB or air-gapped signing. See walletconnect-bluetooth and connections-usb-bluetooth-nfc.

Q: How do I handle NFTs? A: NFTs appear on chains that support them (e.g., Ethereum). Use a compatible UI that can display NFTs and always confirm transfers on-device. See nfts-opensea.

Conclusion & next steps

Which coins your hardware wallet supports depends on the installed apps, companion manager, and third-party UI choices. If you want to check exact model compatibility or compare features, consult the wallet compatibility matrix and models comparison.

If you’re unsure about a specific coin or token, try these immediate steps: confirm the installed app, verify addresses on-device, and consult the companion or third-party wallet token settings. I believe a careful, measured approach keeps your crypto safe without making everyday use painful.

Next step: review the compatibility matrix for your model and follow the install apps and manage space guide to configure exactly the coins and tokens you need.