CASE STUDY
Privacy and Ease — Designing an Uphold Killer
Crafting a Next-Generation Crypto Wallet for Brave Browser
Project Details
CLient:
Confiedntial Venture Capital Firm
Role:
Principal UX Designer
Date:
2021
Simplifying the Complex: UX Strategy for a Brave New Wallet
In this project, I led a fast-moving team exploring the intersection of privacy, crypto, and onboarding simplicity. We were asked to design a crypto wallet for the Brave Browser—something frictionless, secure, and broadly appealing. The constraints were steep: rigorous KYC requirements, privacy-conscious users, and a tech stack that needed to integrate seamlessly into Brave’s architecture.
This was a clear reminder that product leadership isn’t just about shipping—it’s about sensing the opportunity, guiding a team with clarity, and balancing user, business, and technical needs. That mindset—of adaptive, embedded UX strategy—is exactly what The UX Leadership Lab is built to deliver.
The Challenge
Problem
In 2022, a multidisciplinary design team was assembled to create a next-generation crypto wallet designed for seamless integration with the Brave Browser. The objective was to deliver a product that prioritized privacy and ease of use, while meeting rigorous Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements.
At the time, Brave users were limited to Uphold as a wallet option—a platform with a poor reputation among privacy-conscious users. This opened a clear opportunity to enhance Brave’s crypto offering by introducing a more trusted, user-friendly alternative. By leveraging existing crypto infrastructure and applying a focused design strategy, the team aimed to deliver a frictionless experience aligned with Brave’s privacy-first values.
Goals and Objectives
- Develop a wallet with mass-market appeal
- Capitalize on the growing crypto-curious user base
- Ensure seamless KYC while preserving user privacy and ease of onboarding
Research & Discovery
Method
We conducted in-depth market research on leading crypto wallets, third-party reports, surveys, usability testing, and heuristic reviews.
Based on these findings, the team was divided the team into two focus tracks:
- Visual & Brand Design: Naming, illustrative style, typography, color palette
- UX & Architecture: Flow validation, backend feasibility, onboarding refinement
Key Insights
- Most users were 34–38-year-old white males, but unmet demand existed among professional women and diverse users
- Even experienced users felt like novices—education was essential
- Security was associated with brand reputation and onboarding clarity
- Many users viewed crypto as a long-term financial strategy
Design Process
Ideation and Brainstorming
We Explored:
- How to meet the needs of privacy-first Brave users
- How to attract new users through reputation, education, and delight
Wireframing & Prototyping
We mapped the structure in Figma, with flows built around minimal input, phased KYC, and real-time onboarding assistance
User Testing and Feedback
We ran multiple testing rounds with diverse users to refine navigation, personalization, and metric visibility.
Iterations and Refinements
Design refinements included simplified flows, improved personalization, and clearer financial visuals.
Challenges & Solutions
- Integration Challenges: Required deep collaboration with the Brave Browser team for seamless UX, and access to their privacy aware customers
- KYC vs. Privacy: Solved with phased identity verification that reduced perceived intrusiveness
Final Solution
Key Features & Innovations
- Personalized Dashboard with clear recommendations
- Effortless Onboarding with phased KYC logic
- Integrated Educational Prompts to support novice users
- Brave Browser Integration for continuity and ease
Results & Impact
- Strong results in usability testing across personas
- Created a scalable onboarding and dashboard model
- Client halted pre-development due to business priorities
- Provided strategic direction for future crypto wallet development
Final Thoughts
Leading the design of this crypto wallet was a deep dive into the complexity of privacy, regulation, and trust in emerging tech. It was also a chance to guide a multidisciplinary team toward clarity and momentum in a space often dominated by confusion.
The work reinforced what I’ve come to believe through every project since: great UX leadership is embedded, responsive, and aligned with both user insight and business ambition. These principles now sit at the heart of The UX Leadership Lab—where I help clients transform complexity into clarity through strategic design.
