Ledger with Temple/Kukai

If you want Tezos NFTs to mean anything more than a number in someone else’s story, you have to treat security like common sense. Tezos runs on proof of stake so transactions are fast and cheap and the chain drinks little electricity. That makes it good ground for artists and collectors who do not want to pay huge fees. To use that ground you need a hot wallet like Temple or Kukai. These wallets let you click into marketplaces and dApps in seconds. They are non‑custodial, so you hold the keys in principle. But they live on devices that touch the internet, and the internet has teeth. Malware, phishing pages, and malicious browser extensions wait for a lazy click. The simple fix is ugly and simple. Keep your private keys off the internet. Use a hardware wallet to store your Tezos account keys inside a dedicated secure chip. Then use your hot wallet only as a bridge. The hot wallet sends unsigned transactions to the hardware device. The device shows the exact details on its own screen. You press physical buttons to sign. No one on the web signs for you. No stolen keys work without that physical press. Set up a fresh Tezos account on the hardware device first. Do this with the device’s manager app and install the Tezos application there. Then open your hot wallet and choose the option to connect a hardware wallet. Unlock the device and open its Tezos app when prompted. The hot wallet will list the hardware account and let you add it as an account to use. From then on your keys stay in the dark. Transactions must be approved on the device. You verify address, amount, and fee on a trusted display that cannot be spoofed by a tampered browser. This step kills screen‑hijack attacks where the computer lies and the device tells the truth. Yes, it feels like extra work. That is the point. A physical button press is the last checkpoint against covert transfers. Compatibility worries are real. But many Web3 apps build support for hardware wallets so you keep access without handing over security. Think of the hot wallet as the door and the hardware wallet as the lock that only you can turn. Do both and you get speed, low fees, and a night of sleep.