Financial services company Square is on a mission to make crypto wallets less complicated.
Square Crypto, the crypto arm of the payments giant, made the announcement on Twitter that they are awarding a grant to a developer who envisions a better experience for all crypto wallet users.
“Giving trick-or-treaters Open Dimes and Square Crypto grants this year. Speaking of which, this one goes to Maggie Valentine (@magglevalentine), a designer working to simplify wallet onboarding flows by reducing technical jargon and increasing user education.”
Maggie Valentine is currently head of design for non-profit She256 where she works to foster inclusive design in the blockchain space. According to Square, Valentine will focus on reducing the complexity involved in using crypto wallets so anyone without technical know-how can reap the benefits of Bitcoin.
“Maggie’s thesis is that Bitcoin should be usable by anyone, regardless of technical proficiency. Difficult wallet UX shouldn’t determine who benefits from Bitcoin. Her plan is to investigate these problems and publish recommendations to make onboarding more user-friendly.”
In her proposal to Square, Valentine highlights cryptocurrency’s potential to shape the future of financial infrastructure, but she also acknowledges that there are strong barriers surrounding the crypto space that are deterring non-savvy technical users from entering the space.
“The current state of products and experiences within this industry creates strong barriers to entry; wallet onboarding flows are often saturated with technical jargon, unfamiliar user concepts, and little-to-no education. Unless equipped with a technical background, users are often deterred from reaping the benefits this technology has to offer.”
Ultimately, Valentine’s research will be incorporated into the Bitcoin Design Guide, says Square.
“These learnings will be published in the ‘Best Practices’ and ‘Recommended Actions on First-Run’ sections of the Bitcoin Design Guide.”
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