⚠️ FULL DISCLOSURE: Tangem is a sponsor of this channel and I promote their products. I made this video the same way I would if they were not a sponsor. Ledger — a direct competitor — published research showing they broke into a Tangem card with a laser. Here’s exactly what they found, exactly how Tangem responded, and where I think both companies are spinning it.
Read the primary sources yourself. Don’t take my word for it:
🔬 Ledger Donjon research: https://donjon.ledger.com/blog/bypassing-tangem-card-security-with-laser-attack/
🛡️ Tangem’s official response: https://tangem.com/en/blog/post/lfi-response/
THE SHORT VERSION:
Ledger found a flaw that cannot be patched and affects every Tangem card in circulation. Disabling password recovery does NOT protect you. It also requires physically stealing your card, roughly $250,000 in lab equipment, hardware-security experts, and it destroys the card in the process. There have been zero documented real-world losses from this class of attack on any hardware wallet, ever.
Both of those things are true at the same time. Serious — and not a reason to panic.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 – Ledger Laser Attacked Tangem
00:32 – How the Laser Attack Actually Works
01:30 – The Uncomfortable Facts
02:15 – The Reassuring Facts
03:00 – How Tangem Responded
04:09 – Where BOTH Companies are Spinning It
04:45 – Where Tangem Was Soft on Facts
05:40 – What This Actually Means for You
07:20 – What I’m Watching Next
07:47 – The Bottom Line
🔑 IF YOU TAKE ONE THING AWAY:
This changes the risk of a LOST OR STOLEN card. If your card goes missing and you hold meaningful funds — move them to new keys. Don’t assume the password is enough anymore. If your card is still in your pocket, your day-to-day risk barely moved. The things actually draining wallets right now are phishing, fake apps, and malicious contracts — not lasers.
📌 On the sponsorship: Tangem is a sponsor of this channel. That’s a real conflict of interest, not a throwaway line. My rule is simple — when something bad comes out about a sponsor, I cover it the same way I would if they weren’t a sponsor. If I ever can’t do that, I’ll drop the sponsorship, not the story. Hold me to it in the comments.
⚖️ Nothing in this video is financial or security advice. This is an educational breakdown of publicly available security research. Do your own research and make your own decisions.
#Tangem #Ledger #CryptoSecurity #HardwareWallet #SelfCustody #Crypto