Ledger has unveiled Atom, a device that looks like an Android phone but is meant to be used alongside a regular phone. It runs Android plus Ledger OS on a separate secure chip, where sensitive actions such as signing transactions take place. It has a hardware switch for the camera and microphone and is designed so AI agents can carry out financial tasks only with the user's physical approval. Solana Mobile will preinstall its Seeker app, and delivery is expected in the second quarter of 2027.

What it means: Ledger is trying to move from making crypto wallets to providing security for a person's whole digital life, and Atom is the first product of that strategy. The core idea is sound: the more actions AI agents take on our behalf, the more important it is to have a checkpoint that software cannot bypass. Physical approval on a separate chip is one way to keep a human responsible for important decisions. The product arrives at a difficult moment for the company, however, since according to The Verge it has halted sales in parts of Southeast Asia after devices were tampered with in the supply chain, with reported losses above $86 million. That is a reminder that hardware security also depends on where a device is bought. For Greek users and businesses holding crypto-assets, the rule stays the same: buy only through official channels, check the packaging and never use a device that arrives with a preset recovery phrase. For developers building AI agents that make payments, the idea of a separate approval point is worth studying even without special hardware. Payment apps can already require a second, independent confirmation step for any transfer above a set amount.

Read the original on The Verge

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