Edited 14/07/2026
Migrating a wallet is one of the few crypto actions that can't be undone if it goes wrong. This guide walks through it in a safe order: check what you install, land on a clean key, and verify every address before any real money moves.
Before you start
Two things hold true for any wallet migration, whichever wallet you're coming from. The transaction that moves your funds can't be reversed once it confirms. And the biggest real-world losses come from rushing, not from Lace or Cardano failing. This guide is built to remove both risks, so take it slowly and in order.
The one rule that matters
Read this before you touch anything.
If you have any reason to think your current wallet's keys are already exposed, whether from a suspected compromise, malware on the device you used, or a security notice from your wallet provider, restoring that same recovery phrase into Lace does not fix it. A key works the same way wherever it's typed in. Moving it into a new app doesn't change who else might already have a copy.
The only real fix is to land your funds on a brand-new key that was never generated or used anywhere that might be compromised, which is exactly what the steps below produce. If nothing suggests your current wallet is compromised, this is still good hygiene worth following.
Step 0: only trust official sources
Verify before you install.
Before you install anything, confirm you're working from the real thing. Wallet migrations are a favorite target for lookalike sites and fake 'helper' tools.
The only official source for Lace is lace.io. Install the browser extension from the link on that site, not from a search ad, a forum post, or a third-party mirror. Hold your current wallet's app or site to the same standard: go to it directly, and don't follow a link from an unsolicited message.
Which path applies to you
Pause first: you suspect your current wallet may be compromised
- Don't rush a transfer under pressure. A rushed migration is itself a risk if the key is already exposed.
- Contact your current wallet provider's official support channel directly, and follow their guidance before you move funds yourself.
- When you do move funds, land them on a brand-new Lace identity (Route A or B below) rather than restoring the old phrase.
Proceed: routine migration, no compromise suspected
- Follow Route A or Route B below.
- Land on a fresh key rather than restoring an old one where you can. It costs nothing extra and removes a whole category of risk.
- Test with a small amount before you move everything.
Migrating to Lace safely
Two ways to land in Lace on a clean key. Pick based on how much is at stake. Hardware pairing is the stronger option for anything beyond a small balance.
Route A: Lace paired with a hardware wallet (recommended for meaningful balances)
Lace works with both Ledger and Trezor, and the team is exploring support for more hardware wallets.. Either way, Lace is only the interface. Your keys stay on the hardware device and never touch browser software.
- Install Lace from lace.io only. Follow the browser-extension link from the official site, not a search ad or a third-party mirror.
- Prepare the device. Update its firmware first. On Ledger, also install the latest Cardano app through Ledger Live, then close Ledger Live before you continue, because it holds the connection and conflicts with Lace. On Trezor, update through Trezor Suite; Cardano support is built into the firmware, so there's no separate app to install. Close Trezor Suite before pairing so it isn't holding the device.
- Pair it. Connect and unlock the device. On Ledger, open the Cardano app until it shows 'Cardano is ready'. In Lace, click Connect under Hardware Wallet and select your device. The wallet asks you to set an application password, which locks and unlocks the interface on this device. No new recovery phrase is created, because your keys stay on the hardware device. Lace only reads them, and you confirm each action on the device screen from here on.
- Copy the new receiving address and verify it. Check the first five and last five characters against what shows on the hardware device's own screen, not just in the browser.
- Move your full balance in a single transaction, and verify every output before signing. On a hardware wallet, each output is displayed on the device. The only destinations should be your verified Lace address and the network fee. If the transaction includes a change output or any unexpected destination, reject it.
Route B: Lace as a software wallet (no hardware device
- Install Lace from lace.io only.
- On the welcome screen, choose to create a new wallet rather than 'Import existing wallet'.
- Name your wallet and activate the Cardano account (you can also turn on Bitcoin and Midnight here), then select Create Wallet. Lace asks you to set an application password. That password locks and unlocks the Lace interface on this device. It is not your recovery phrase, and it does not replace it.
- Lace lets you into the wallet before you've saved your recovery phrase, so it marks the phrase as an unfinished step. On the View wallet screen you'll see the recovery phrase setup flagged in red. Open it and follow the prompts. Don't skip this, because the wallet isn't safely backed up until you have.
- Lace generates a fresh 24-word recovery phrase, one you've never used anywhere, and shows it to you. Write it down by hand, on paper. Never type it, screenshot it, or save it in a notes app or cloud drive. Store the paper somewhere secure, with a backup copy in a second location. Lace then asks you to re-enter the phrase to confirm you have it.
- Copy your new receiving address and check the first and last five characters carefully.
- Move your full balance in a single transaction. Before signing, verify that the only destination is your verified Lace address and the network fee. If the transaction includes a change output or any unexpected destination, reject it.
After the transfer is confirmed
Give it a little time and check that the balance in Lace matches what you expect before you stop using your old wallet. Keep the old app installed until you're fully confident the migration is complete.
If you claimed NIGHT in the Midnight Glacier Drop
One more thing to sort out before you stop using your old wallet.
If you claimed NIGHT in the Glacier Drop, the tokens don't all arrive at once, and moving your ada into a fresh Lace wallet does not move that claim. Your NIGHT is tied to the Cardano address you gave as your destination when you claimed. Wipe or forget the wallet that holds that address, and you can lock yourself out of tokens you haven't collected yet.
How the release works
Your allocation unlocks in four equal parts, 25% at a time. Midnight calls this 'thawing'. The first part unlocked on a random day inside the opening 90-day window, and the remaining three unlock every 90 days after that, so roughly once a quarter. The schedule runs until December 4, 2026, with a 90-day window after that to collect anything left before the portal closes.
What it means for your migration
If the destination address you used for the Glacier Drop sits in the wallet you're moving away from, keep that wallet's recovery phrase safe and reachable until you've collected all four parts. The migration isn't a reason to retire it early.
To collect, go to the official portal, connect the wallet that holds your destination address (or paste the address in), and redeem whatever has unlocked. You can take each part as it unlocks, or wait and collect the whole amount once it has fully thawed. Each redemption costs a small ada network fee, and if your destination wallet holds no ada, you can connect a second wallet just to cover it, so you never have to send funds back to the old one.
One rule carries over from the rest of this guide: only use redeem.midnight.gd. Treat any other site, message, or 'helper' offering to speed up your NIGHT as a scam.
Rules that apply no matter which path you're on
- Never share a seed phrase or private key with anyone. No legitimate wallet provider or support team will ever ask for one.
- Never type a recovery phrase into a website, a support chat, or a screenshot. Paper only.
- Always verify a receiving address character by character before you send anything meaningful.
- Always send a small test amount before a full-balance transfer, on every migration, every time.
- Treat urgency as a red flag. A real migration can be done calmly. Anything pushing you to move fast or skip steps is worth stepping back from.
If you get stuck
If something doesn't look right during the migration, stop and ask before you move any more funds. Checking first is always cheaper than fixing later.
For help with Lace, hardware wallet pairing, or anything in this guide, go to the official Lace Technical Support page. Reach it by typing the address yourself, or from a link on lace.io, not from a search ad or a message someone sent you.
Support will never ask for your recovery phrase or private key, and neither will anyone who actually works on Lace. If a 'support agent' asks for either, or offers to move your funds for you, it's a scam. Close the chat and report it.