Crypto Startups
Two crypto startups, back-to-back. Took complex blockchain workflows — wallets, staking, token dashboards — and turned them into interfaces that non-technical users could actually navigate.
01The Challenge
Blockchain products have a translation problem. The underlying workflows — connecting wallets, approving transactions, staking tokens, claiming rewards — are inherently complex and use jargon that excludes anyone who isn't already deep in crypto. Both startups needed to onboard non-technical users who had heard about crypto but couldn't navigate MetaMask.
02Approach
Map the mental model gap
Identified every point where the blockchain's mental model (gas fees, transaction hashes, block confirmations) diverges from users' expectations (click, done). Then designed abstractions that hid the complexity without removing user control.
Reduce staking from 8 steps to 3
The original staking flow required: connect wallet → approve token → set amount → choose validator → confirm → sign transaction → wait for confirmation → claim rewards. Consolidated into: select amount → confirm → done (with background handling of approvals and signing).
Design progressive disclosure for technical details
Non-technical users see a clean interface with simple actions. Power users can expand transaction details, view on-chain data, and access advanced settings — but none of it is in the default view.
03Key Decisions
04Results
8 → 3
Staking Steps Reduced
2
Products Shipped
Non-Technical
Target Users
Web3
Domain
05What I Learned
Crypto taught me that simplification isn't about removing features — it's about removing the need to understand implementation details. The best interfaces don't dumb things down; they raise the abstraction layer so users can focus on their intent (I want to earn yield on my tokens) rather than the mechanism (approve ERC-20 spend, delegate to validator, claim rewards).
Interested in working together?
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