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Coinbase
Coinbase
I worked on projects that pushed the boundaries of blockchain technology. As part of the Platform team, I contributed to Coinbase Card, Wallet, Decentralized Identity, Taxes, and Institutional products.
Feature launch: Coinbase usernames
Overview and process
1. The problem
Who I worked with: PM, Product Designer, Engineering team
What are Coinbase usernames? A feature that allows users to send and receive crypto to a username instead of a blockchain address
2. The solution
Blockchain addresses are 24-36 character alphanumeric strings like this: 1Lbcfr7sAHTD9CgdQo3HTMTkV8LK4ZnX71—hard to remember, easy to mess up
Instead of dealing with complicated addresses, users could create and share a simple, human-readable username, making transactions easier, faster, and safer
The results
In the first week, millions of people claimed usernames, shared them on social media, and used them to send and receive crypto around the world
Final designs and content
We used social proof to encourage people to claim their username
The flow highlights 4 core value props: free, simple, customizable, and full-ownership
I advocated for telling people about this limitation early on to prevent confusion or frustration later
Giving people control over their privacy was important. In later revisions, I swapped 'users' for 'people' to reduce repetition and make the content feel more human
We gave the user reassurance by displaying the username they had just claimed. And added a touch of celebration!
I encouraged users to continue their journey by adding profile details
Clear, concise, and action-driven, this banner highlights the benefit of receiving crypto with ease with a clear call to action