Problems of Customer Experience in Web3: Unmasking the Paradox of the Crypto World

Published on May 30, 2023

Imagine standing in front of a door that leads to a world full of possibilities – a world that promises unprecedented freedom, privacy, and decentralization. But as you reach out to turn the knob, you find it’s not a knob at all. It’s a complex puzzle, requiring a nuanced understanding of sophisticated algorithms, codes, and terminologies. This is the current state of the crypto world, the Web3, where the promise of a revolutionary digital frontier is held back by poor customer experience (CX).

The world of Web3 and cryptocurrency offers a disruptive platform that challenges the traditional financial system’s very fabric. Yet, paradoxically, it struggles to provide an intuitive, user-friendly experience, crucial for mainstream adoption. This article examines the reasons behind the poor customer experience in Web3 and explores strategies to transform this landscape.

Web3 has solved a lot but there’s still a lot to solve in Web3

Dilemma of Decentralization and CX

Decentralization, the cornerstone of Web3, empowers users with greater control and privacy. However, it simultaneously presents unique challenges to crafting a seamless user experience.

1. Complexity of Interaction

The inherent complexity of blockchain technology poses a significant barrier to entry for non-tech-savvy users. Even simple interactions, such as setting up a wallet or understanding a transaction’s status, can be arduous tasks.

For instance, to use a decentralized exchange (DEX) like Uniswap, users need to first understand the concept of a MetaMask wallet, gas fees, and how to connect their wallets to the DEX. This complex process often deters potential users, contributing to a sluggish adoption rate.

2. Lack of User Support

In a traditional centralized system, a customer service team is available to resolve user issues. In contrast, Web3’s decentralized nature lacks a centralized authority or support system. Users are expected to solve problems independently, often requiring extensive research and technical knowledge.

A report by The Defiant indicated that 74% of new crypto users find it challenging to navigate this landscape without adequate support.

3. Security Concerns

While Web3 enhances user privacy, it also exposes users to potential security risks. Unlike traditional banking systems, transactions on the blockchain are irreversible. If a user loses access to their wallet or falls prey to scams, there’s no centralized authority to reverse the transaction or recover the lost assets. A study revealed that about $10 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen in 2022.

Table: Annual Cryptocurrency Stolen (2018-2022)

Year	Cryptocurrency Stolen (in USD billion)
2018	1.7
2019	4.5
2020	3.8
2021	7.6
2022	10

The need for users to manage their own security often creates a stressful experience, further deterring mainstream adoption.

Tracing the stolen assets is one of the biggest challenges in Web3

4. Volatility and Unpredictability

The crypto market’s volatility often results in unpredictable transaction costs, mainly due to fluctuating gas fees. This unpredictability creates an unstable environment, causing confusion and frustration among users. In 2021, the Ethereum network, one of the most popular blockchains, saw its average transaction fee spike by over 300% in just a month[^3^].

Clearly, the crypto world is entangled in a paradox. While it offers a path to a decentralized, democratic future, it struggles with a complex, unpredictable, and often stressful customer experience.

But this doesn’t mean that the situation is hopeless. With the right strategies, the community can revolutionize the customer experience in Web3.

Strategies to Improve CX in Web3

Education and Simplification

The complex nature of blockchain and cryptocurrency needs to be broken down into simpler, more accessible terms. Comprehensive educational resources, like interactive guides, explainer videos, and user-friendly blogs, can help demystify the crypto world.

Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, is a notable example. It uses Coinbase Earn, an educational program that rewards users for learning about different cryptocurrencies1. This initiative not only educates users but also incentivizes learning, making the process enjoyable and beneficial.

Community Support and Engagement

Building robust community support systems can significantly improve CX in Web3. Forums, social media groups, and chat platforms can be invaluable resources for users to learn, share experiences, and troubleshoot problems.

Discord and Reddit communities are thriving examples of such support systems in the crypto world. They provide platforms for users to interact, exchange ideas, and assist each other, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose2.

Enhanced Security Measures

Enhancing security measures is crucial to instilling confidence in users. This could involve developing more secure wallet options, implementing multi-factor authentication, and educating users on safe practices.

“Security is not just a feature, it’s a fundamental aspect of any digital platform. In the realm of cryptocurrency, it’s a critical pillar of customer experience,” says David Schwartz, CTO at Ripple3.

Predictability and Stability

While complete stability might be unrealistic in the dynamic crypto market, efforts can be made to mitigate extreme volatility. Layer 2 solutions, like Optimism and zkSync, can help provide more predictable transaction costs by reducing dependence on gas fees4.

Wrapping Up

The crypto world’s promise of a decentralized future is currently overshadowed by poor customer experience. However, through concerted efforts in education, community support, enhanced security, and market stability, the Web3 landscape can be transformed into a more user-friendly platform.

The journey towards improving CX in Web3 is one of constant evolution, and at Mantra Labs, we’re committed to being a part of that journey. With our deep expertise in creating seamless digital experiences, we’re ready to help businesses navigate and thrive in this exciting new frontier of Web3.

Let’s take a trip back in time—2008. Netflix was nothing like the media juggernaut it is today. Back then, they were a DVD-rental-by-mail service trying to go digital. But here’s the kicker: they hit a major pitfall. The internet was booming, and people were binge-watching shows like never before, but Netflix’s infrastructure couldn’t handle the load. Their single, massive system—what techies call a “monolith”—was creaking under pressure. Slow load times and buffering wheels plagued the experience, a nightmare for any platform or app development company trying to scale

That’s when Netflix decided to do something wild—they broke their monolith into smaller pieces. It was microservices, the tech equivalent of turning one giant pizza into bite-sized slices. Instead of one colossal system doing everything from streaming to recommendations, each piece of Netflix’s architecture became a specialist—one service handled streaming, another handled recommendations, another managed user data, and so on.

But microservices alone weren’t enough. What if one slice of pizza burns? Would the rest of the meal be ruined? Netflix wasn’t about to let a burnt crust take down the whole operation. That’s when they introduced the Circuit Breaker Pattern—just like a home electrical circuit that prevents a total blackout when one fuse blows. Their famous Hystrix tool allowed services to fail without taking down the entire platform.

Fast-forward to today: Netflix isn’t just serving you movie marathons, it’s a digital powerhouse, an icon in platform engineering; it’s deploying new code thousands of times per day without breaking a sweat. They handle 208 million subscribers streaming over 1 billion hours of content every week. Trends in Platform engineering transformed Netflix into an application dev platform with self-service capabilities, supporting app developers and fostering a culture of continuous deployment.

Did Netflix bring order to chaos?

Netflix didn’t just solve its own problem. They blazed the trail for a movement: platform engineering. Now, every company wants a piece of that action. What Netflix did was essentially build an internal platform that developers could innovate without dealing with infrastructure headaches, a dream scenario for any application developer or app development company seeking seamless workflows.

And it’s not just for the big players like Netflix anymore. Across industries, companies are using platform engineering to create Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs)—one-stop shops for mobile application developers to create, test, and deploy apps without waiting on traditional IT. According to Gartner, 80% of organizations will adopt platform engineering by 2025 because it makes everything faster and more efficient, a game-changer for any mobile app developer or development software firm.

All anybody has to do is to make sure the tools are actually connected and working together. To make the most of it. That’s where modern trends like self-service platforms and composable architectures come in. You build, you scale, you innovate.achieving what mobile app dev and web-based development needs And all without breaking a sweat.

Is Mantra Labs Redefining Platform Engineering?

We didn’t just learn from Netflix’s playbook; we’re writing our own chapters in platform engineering. One example of this? Our work with one of India’s leading private-sector general insurance companies.

Their existing DevOps system was like Netflix’s old monolith: complex, clunky, and slowing them down. Multiple teams, diverse workflows, and a lack of standardization were crippling their ability to innovate. Worse yet, they were stuck in a ticket-driven approach, which led to reactive fixes rather than proactive growth. Observability gaps meant they were often solving the wrong problems, without any real insight into what was happening under the hood.

That’s where Mantra Labs stepped in. Mantra Labs brought in the pillars of platform engineering:

Standardization: We unified their workflows, creating a single source of truth for teams across the board.

Customization: Our tailored platform engineering approach addressed the unique demands of their various application development teams.

Traceability: With better observability tools, they could now track their workflows, giving them real-time insights into system health and potential bottlenecks—an essential feature for web and app development and agile software development.

We didn’t just slap a band-aid on the problem; we overhauled their entire infrastructure. By centralizing infrastructure management and removing the ticket-driven chaos, we gave them a self-service platform—where teams could deploy new code without waiting in line. The results? Faster workflows, better adoption of tools, and an infrastructure ready for future growth.

But we didn’t stop there. We solved the critical observability gaps—providing real-time data that helped the insurance giant avoid potential pitfalls before they happened. With our approach, they no longer had to “hope” that things would go right. They could see it happening in real-time which is a major advantage in cross-platform mobile application development and cloud-based web hosting.

The Future of Platform Engineering: What’s Next?

As we look forward, platform engineering will continue to drive innovation, enabling companies to build scalable, resilient systems that adapt to future challenges—whether it’s AI-driven automation or self-healing platforms.

If you’re ready to make the leap into platform engineering, Mantra Labs is here to guide you. Whether you’re aiming for smoother workflows, enhanced observability, or scalable infrastructure, we’ve got the tools and expertise to get you there.

Problems of Customer Experience in Web3: Unmasking the Paradox of the Crypto World