Blogpost | Bridging the Usability Gap: How Strategic User Research Will Unlock Web3 for the Next Billion

Although layer‑one throughput and smart‑contract expressiveness have advanced significantly, usability remains the primary constraint on mainstream Web3 adoption. Independent estimates place global cryptocurrency ownership between 560 million and 660 million people as of late 2024, roughly 7–8 % of the internet population. The implication is clear: technical capability has outpaced human‑centred design.

This article outlines why usability matters, diagnoses the current pain points, and presents a research‑driven framework for teams that wish to convert technical innovation into sustainable product adoption.

Why Usability Is the Bottleneck

Up to 63% of prospective customers abandon digital onboarding when friction or uncertainty is high; this is a figure consistent with patterns observed in dApps. Except that in Web3, the stakes are higher: irreversible transactions and self‑custody amplify the cost of errors, eroding trust and lifetime value. The technical path is possible; the cognitive load and perceived risk make it implausible for most newcomers.

The Current Experience Landscape

Strengths

Programmable money and composability continue to attract developers and early adopters.

Emerging standards such as ERC‑4337 smart accounts reduce the cognitive overhead of gas management and key backup

Ongoing Challenges

Seed‑phrase storage, chain‑ID confusion, and opaque signing prompts discourage novices.

Fragmented liquidity and bridging steps lengthen task flows, increasing abandonment risk.

Social‑engineering attacks thrive on mental‑model gaps, imposing reputational cost on the ecosystem.

How User Research Creates Measurable Impact

Research Phase	Core Question	Typical Output	Business Impact
Generative	“What unmet needs or mental models shape behaviour?”	Field interviews, diary studies	Informs product‑market fit; reduces speculative development
Evaluative	“Can users accomplish the key task?”	Think‑aloud usability sessions, remote unmoderated tests	Lowers onboarding drop‑off; sharpens UX copy
Continuous	“Is the live product meeting expectations?”	Funnel analytics, in‑app surveys, weekly 5‑user tests	Sustains retention; identifies regression early

Rule of ten: Costs grow ten‑fold from research → design → engineering. 

Detecting a usability issue in lab testing therefore saves an order of magnitude in re‑work once the contract is deployed.

Evidence of Return on Investment

Account‑abstraction wallets that removed seed‑phrase exposure recorded a doubling of weekly active accounts within three months of launch according to Alchemy’s 2025 adoption report.(alchemy.com)

Forbes reports that smart‑wallet providers leveraging ERC‑4337 have reduced customer‑support tickets related to failed transactions by more than 40 %.(forbes.com)

Industry benchmarks indicate that shortening KYC flows from eight to four screens can increase completion by 20–25 % in financial services—an effect magnified when fees are volatile.(trustcloud.tech)

While exact figures vary by product category, the pattern is consistent:

lower cognitive load → higher activation → longer retention → greater total value locked (TVL).

A Pragmatic Research Playbook

Map the End‑to‑End Journey

e;g for DEFI centered products, this might include fiat on‑ramps, L2 bridging, and out‑of‑app support channels to reveal hidden drop‑offs.

Prioritise Critical Tasks

Prototype those involving permanent loss potential (e.g., asset transfer, account recovery) first.

Combine Mixed Methods

Pair qualitative insight (why) with quantitative telemetry (how often, how severe).

Segment by Proficiency

Allow professionals to bypass guardrails while guiding novices through progressive disclosure.

Operationalise Insights

Integrate research findings into sprint rituals and smart‑contract upgrade cycles to maintain velocity without compromising safety.

Undoubtedly, most of the capabilities required for frictionless decentralised experiences—smart accounts, passkeys, intent‑based transactions—already exist. Translating these capabilities into products that millions can trust and understand is a human‑factors challenge. Teams that embed disciplined user research into their development cadence will not only improve usability; they will capture disproportionate market share as the next wave of users arrives.

The Agency team

References

Triple-A. (n.d.). Cryptocurrency ownership data. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.triple-a.io/cryptocurrency-ownership-data

Crypto.com. (2024, January 19). Global cryptocurrency owners grow to 659 million through 2024. https://crypto.com/us/company-news/global-cryptocurrency-owners-grow-to-659-million-through-2024

TrustCloud. (2023, September 21). Abandonment rate rising in the financial sector: The real reasons. https://trustcloud.tech/blog/abandonment-rate-rising-financial-sector-real-reasons

Alchemy. (2024, February 6). Smart accounts adoption accelerated in Q4 2023. https://www.alchemy.com/blog/smart-accounts-adoption-accelerated-in-q4-2023

Forbes. (2025, June 11). 3 crypto wallet trends you can't afford to miss in 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/06/11/3-crypto-wallet-trends-you-cant-afford-to-miss-in-2025

Blogpost | Bridging the Usability Gap: How Strategic User Research Will Unlock Web3 for the Next Billion

Although layer‑one throughput and smart‑contract expressiveness have advanced significantly, usability remains the primary constraint on mainstream Web3 adoption. Independent estimates place global cryptocurrency ownership between 560 million and 660 million people as of late 2024, roughly 7–8 % of the internet population. The implication is clear: technical capability has outpaced human‑centred design.

This article outlines why usability matters, diagnoses the current pain points, and presents a research‑driven framework for teams that wish to convert technical innovation into sustainable product adoption.

Why Usability Is the Bottleneck

Up to 63% of prospective customers abandon digital onboarding when friction or uncertainty is high; this is a figure consistent with patterns observed in dApps. Except that in Web3, the stakes are higher: irreversible transactions and self‑custody amplify the cost of errors, eroding trust and lifetime value. The technical path is possible; the cognitive load and perceived risk make it implausible for most newcomers.

The Current Experience Landscape

Strengths

Programmable money and composability continue to attract developers and early adopters.

Emerging standards such as ERC‑4337 smart accounts reduce the cognitive overhead of gas management and key backup

Ongoing Challenges

Seed‑phrase storage, chain‑ID confusion, and opaque signing prompts discourage novices.

Fragmented liquidity and bridging steps lengthen task flows, increasing abandonment risk.

Social‑engineering attacks thrive on mental‑model gaps, imposing reputational cost on the ecosystem.

How User Research Creates Measurable Impact

Research Phase	Core Question	Typical Output	Business Impact
Generative	“What unmet needs or mental models shape behaviour?”	Field interviews, diary studies	Informs product‑market fit; reduces speculative development
Evaluative	“Can users accomplish the key task?”	Think‑aloud usability sessions, remote unmoderated tests	Lowers onboarding drop‑off; sharpens UX copy
Continuous	“Is the live product meeting expectations?”	Funnel analytics, in‑app surveys, weekly 5‑user tests	Sustains retention; identifies regression early

Rule of ten: Costs grow ten‑fold from research → design → engineering. 

Detecting a usability issue in lab testing therefore saves an order of magnitude in re‑work once the contract is deployed.

Evidence of Return on Investment

Account‑abstraction wallets that removed seed‑phrase exposure recorded a doubling of weekly active accounts within three months of launch according to Alchemy’s 2025 adoption report.(alchemy.com)

Forbes reports that smart‑wallet providers leveraging ERC‑4337 have reduced customer‑support tickets related to failed transactions by more than 40 %.(forbes.com)

Industry benchmarks indicate that shortening KYC flows from eight to four screens can increase completion by 20–25 % in financial services—an effect magnified when fees are volatile.(trustcloud.tech)

While exact figures vary by product category, the pattern is consistent:

lower cognitive load → higher activation → longer retention → greater total value locked (TVL).

A Pragmatic Research Playbook

Map the End‑to‑End Journey

e;g for DEFI centered products, this might include fiat on‑ramps, L2 bridging, and out‑of‑app support channels to reveal hidden drop‑offs.

Prioritise Critical Tasks

Prototype those involving permanent loss potential (e.g., asset transfer, account recovery) first.

Combine Mixed Methods

Pair qualitative insight (why) with quantitative telemetry (how often, how severe).

Segment by Proficiency

Allow professionals to bypass guardrails while guiding novices through progressive disclosure.

Operationalise Insights

Integrate research findings into sprint rituals and smart‑contract upgrade cycles to maintain velocity without compromising safety.

Undoubtedly, most of the capabilities required for frictionless decentralised experiences—smart accounts, passkeys, intent‑based transactions—already exist. Translating these capabilities into products that millions can trust and understand is a human‑factors challenge. Teams that embed disciplined user research into their development cadence will not only improve usability; they will capture disproportionate market share as the next wave of users arrives.

The Agency team

References

Triple-A. (n.d.). Cryptocurrency ownership data. Retrieved July 8, 2025, from https://www.triple-a.io/cryptocurrency-ownership-data

Crypto.com. (2024, January 19). Global cryptocurrency owners grow to 659 million through 2024. https://crypto.com/us/company-news/global-cryptocurrency-owners-grow-to-659-million-through-2024

TrustCloud. (2023, September 21). Abandonment rate rising in the financial sector: The real reasons. https://trustcloud.tech/blog/abandonment-rate-rising-financial-sector-real-reasons

Alchemy. (2024, February 6). Smart accounts adoption accelerated in Q4 2023. https://www.alchemy.com/blog/smart-accounts-adoption-accelerated-in-q4-2023

Forbes. (2025, June 11). 3 crypto wallet trends you can't afford to miss in 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/06/11/3-crypto-wallet-trends-you-cant-afford-to-miss-in-2025