# Karpelès Says MediaMarkt Ledger Nano X Contained Spy Implant By Simon Yoon Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/33769 Published: 2026-10-17T05:38:15.000Z Updated: 2026-10-17T05:38:15.000Z Section: Technology > X user Johannes sent one device to Karpelès and another to Ledger. Ledger said its German stock inspections found no tampering and that it had not examined devices shown online. Mark Karpelès, CEO of Tokyo-based Karpelès Lab, said he found a spy implant inside a Ledger Nano X purchased at MediaMarkt in Germany, adding another European retail device to reports of altered Ledger wallets. X user Johannes bought the Nano X and sent one device to Karpelès and another to Ledger, Karpelès said. The unit sent to him arrived Oct. 15. Karpelès said he found an implant inside. Johannes had previously said two Ledger devices he bought at separate MediaMarkt stores contained unauthorized wiring and cellular modules, in [earlier reports of tampering at the retailer](). The German device follows Karpelès’s earlier statement that a Ledger Flex bought through Singapore airport retailer Metapod contained an implant customized for that wallet. He said the Flex and Nano X versions used the same type of board and a three-chip process: one chip reads the screen, another acts as a cellular modem, and an eSIM sends data. On Oct. 14, Ledger said its inspection of German retail and distributor inventory, including the stores identified in the reports, found no evidence of tampering. The company said all confirmed wallet drains tied to the Oct. 9 incident involved devices sold by CryptoBilis, an authorized reseller in Southeast Asia. Karpelès said the Nano X implant was installed differently from versions found in Southeast Asia but called it “surely the same implant.” He described a newer design with a blank board that clips into the device. On the Nano X, he said, the board would “basically just fall into place.” Karpelès said the design was made for mass production and followed months of research and development. Ledger has asked sellers in seven Asian markets, including Singapore, to pause sales. MediaMarktSaturn halted Ledger sales on Oct. 13 in coordination with Ledger. Ledger said it had not yet examined the devices shown online. ## Links in this article - [earlier reports of tampering at the retailer](https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/31018)