REPORTED: This is based on a statement a MediaMarktSaturn spokesperson emailed to Cointelegraph. Neither MediaMarktSaturn nor Ledger has confirmed that any device sold by MediaMarkt was tampered with.
MediaMarktSaturn, the company behind the European electronics chain MediaMarkt, says it has taken all Ledger products off sale in its stores and online [1].
“The MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group has removed all of the manufacturer’s products from its stores and online platforms and is in contact with the manufacturer,” a spokesperson told Cointelegraph in an email on 13 October 2026. “We take this incident very seriously” [1].
Ledger makes hardware wallets, small devices that store the keys to people’s cryptocurrency. TSN found no statement about this on MediaMarktSaturn’s own press page, and no other outlet confirming it independently.
Why now? (UNVERIFIED CLAIM)
The move follows posts by an X user called Johannes (@0xJohannes_). He says he bought two Ledger devices from two different MediaMarkt stores and that both contained unauthorized cables and cellular modules [1][2].
On 12 October he posted that he had “purchased a second device from a different Mediamarkt location today, recorded the unboxing process, and discovered” the same problem, and called on Ledger to recall products [2].
This is one buyer’s claim. Ledger and MediaMarkt have not confirmed it, and TSN has not been able to check it.
Cointelegraph asked Ledger whether it had confirmed any tampered devices in Europe. It had no reply by the time it published [1].
What Ledger says (CONFIRMED statement)
Ledger is investigating devices sold by CryptoBilis, a reseller in Southeast Asia, which contained an unauthorized hardware implant. In an update on 13 October, Ledger said, via @Ledger on X [3]:
“All confirmed fund losses tied to the incident disclosed on October 9th involve signers sold through CryptoBilis. We have not verified a drain linked to a signer bought elsewhere.”
It added: “We are also reviewing reports of implants in other signers and locations” [3]. (“Signer” is Ledger’s word for its devices.)
Ledger also said it has “not confirmed the total number of affected users or the total value lost” [3].
What this means
- A big retailer has acted. MediaMarktSaturn says all Ledger products are off its shelves and websites while it talks to Ledger.
- Nothing is confirmed about MediaMarkt devices. The tampering claim comes from one buyer. Ledger says all confirmed losses so far involve CryptoBilis devices.
- Ledger is looking wider. It says it is reviewing reports of implants in other devices and places.
- If you own a Ledger, Ledger’s advice is to contact Ledger Support if you think your device has been tampered with, and never to type your 24-word recovery phrase into a website, app or form [3].
Sources
- Cointelegraph (Helen Partz), “MediaMarktSaturn pulls Ledger products amid tampering reports”, 13 October 2026. https://cointelegraph.com/news/mediamarkt-pulls-ledger-wallet-security-incident
- Johannes (@0xJohannes_) on X, 12 October 2026. https://x.com/0xJohannes_/status/2109634513957527974
- Ledger (@Ledger) on X, update on the CryptoBilis investigation, 13 October 2026. https://x.com/Ledger/status/2109896739985453358
