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Bitsafe
Context
Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) let Bitcoin behave like a smart contract, without moving the coins. Powerful tech, but completely invisible to users.
I was the sole designer. My job was to make this protocol feel like a product, and help the team raise money while doing it.
Impact
- $2M pre-seed raised
- Supported closing 3 key partnerships
- Business model pivot identified through design validation, not just engineering
Role
Product Design
UI/UX Design
Branding and Marketing
Phase 1: Native Wallet Integration
Goal:
Show wallet providers that DLCs could live inside their existing apps.
The decision:
I designed a white-label locking flow that matched standard wallet UX. No new app, no learning curve. It was a sales tool disguised as a prototype, built to prove that integration was low-risk.
What happened:
Three partners signed. But the design process also surfaced a critical flaw: native locking meant users held the keys, which blocked forced liquidations. The lending model didn't work. Design validated the tech and killed a dead-end business model early.
Phase 2: The Institutional Pivot
Goal:
Build a B2B minting flow where institutions lock Bitcoin to mint dlcBTC on Ethereum.
The decision:
Users had to sign transactions on both Bitcoin and Ethereum in sequence. Most got lost. I color-coded the entire flow, yellow for Bitcoin, purple for EVM, so operations teams could instantly tell which chain they were on. Then I built a linear wizard that made a multi-chain bridge feel like filling out a form.
Visualizing the full journey in one view, turning a complex technical bridge into a simple, guided workflow.
A centralized dashboard to manage the asset lifecycle. Teams can track in-progress vaults and safely execute the next step, whether that is minting tokens or redeeming Bitcoin.
Phase 3: Revenue Vision
Goal:
Show investors that dlcBTC could generate yield, not just sit in a wallet.
The decision:
The staking market is fragmented and noisy. I designed a single dashboard that pulled every opportunity into one view, with a card layout that buried the technical specs and surfaced what matters: APY and one deposit button. A ten-step process compressed into one click.
Bringing different staking offers together into one simple, comparable list.
Hiding the technical complexity to focus the user on the reward and the deposit action.
“Rok started with UI but quickly became a key strategic partner — contributing across UX, messaging, and investor decks.”
Aki Balogh
BitSafe
What I Learned
Speed over perfection
In a chaotic startup, you cannot wait for the perfect process. I learned to trade pixel perfection for speed. We built flexible systems that allowed us to tear down and rebuild the product in days instead of weeks.
Acting as a translator
Our technology was abstract and invisible. I learned that my role went beyond UI. I had to create the narrative. By producing infographics and animations, I helped the team and investors finally visualize the product we were building.
Safety over style
In crypto, boring is good. If a user is confused, they won't deposit money. I learned to prioritize clear, linear flows over flashy interactions. Making the user feel safe is the only metric that matters.
Next Project →
PhoneIn
App Design • UX Design • Branding • Website Design
View project →
Back to Portfolio
Bitsafe
Context
Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) let Bitcoin behave like a smart contract, without moving the coins. Powerful tech, but completely invisible to users.
I was the sole designer. My job was to make this protocol feel like a product, and help the team raise money while doing it.
Impact
- $2M pre-seed raised
- Supported closing 3 key partnerships
- Business model pivot identified through design validation, not just engineering
Role
Product Design
UI/UX Design
Branding and Marketing
Phase 1: Native Wallet Integration
Goal:
Show wallet providers that DLCs could live inside their existing apps.
The decision:
I designed a white-label locking flow that matched standard wallet UX. No new app, no learning curve. It was a sales tool disguised as a prototype, built to prove that integration was low-risk.
What happened:
Three partners signed. But the design process also surfaced a critical flaw: native locking meant users held the keys, which blocked forced liquidations. The lending model didn't work. Design validated the tech and killed a dead-end business model early.
Phase 2: The Institutional Pivot
Goal:
Build a B2B minting flow where institutions lock Bitcoin to mint dlcBTC on Ethereum.
The decision:
Users had to sign transactions on both Bitcoin and Ethereum in sequence. Most got lost. I color-coded the entire flow, yellow for Bitcoin, purple for EVM, so operations teams could instantly tell which chain they were on. Then I built a linear wizard that made a multi-chain bridge feel like filling out a form.
Visualizing the full journey in one view, turning a complex technical bridge into a simple, guided workflow.
A centralized dashboard to manage the asset lifecycle. Teams can track in-progress vaults and safely execute the next step, whether that is minting tokens or redeeming Bitcoin.
Phase 3: Revenue Vision
Goal:
Show investors that dlcBTC could generate yield, not just sit in a wallet.
The decision:
The staking market is fragmented and noisy. I designed a single dashboard that pulled every opportunity into one view, with a card layout that buried the technical specs and surfaced what matters: APY and one deposit button. A ten-step process compressed into one click.
Bringing different staking offers together into one simple, comparable list.
Hiding the technical complexity to focus the user on the reward and the deposit action.
“Rok started with UI but quickly became a key strategic partner — contributing across UX, messaging, and investor decks.”
Aki Balogh
BitSafe
What I Learned
Speed over perfection
In a chaotic startup, you cannot wait for the perfect process. I learned to trade pixel perfection for speed. We built flexible systems that allowed us to tear down and rebuild the product in days instead of weeks.
Acting as a translator
Our technology was abstract and invisible. I learned that my role went beyond UI. I had to create the narrative. By producing infographics and animations, I helped the team and investors finally visualize the product we were building.
Safety over style
In crypto, boring is good. If a user is confused, they won't deposit money. I learned to prioritize clear, linear flows over flashy interactions. Making the user feel safe is the only metric that matters.
Next Project →
PhoneIn
App Design • UX Design • Branding • Website Design
View project →
Back to Portfolio
Bitsafe
Context
Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) let Bitcoin behave like a smart contract, without moving the coins. Powerful tech, but completely invisible to users.
I was the sole designer. My job was to make this protocol feel like a product, and help the team raise money while doing it.
Impact
- $2M pre-seed raised
- Supported closing 3 key partnerships
- Business model pivot identified through design validation, not just engineering
Role
Product Design
UI/UX Design
Branding and Marketing
Phase 1: Native Wallet Integration
Goal:
Show wallet providers that DLCs could live inside their existing apps.
The decision:
I designed a white-label locking flow that matched standard wallet UX. No new app, no learning curve. It was a sales tool disguised as a prototype, built to prove that integration was low-risk.
What happened:
Three partners signed. But the design process also surfaced a critical flaw: native locking meant users held the keys, which blocked forced liquidations. The lending model didn't work. Design validated the tech and killed a dead-end business model early.
Phase 2: The Institutional Pivot
Goal:
Build a B2B minting flow where institutions lock Bitcoin to mint dlcBTC on Ethereum.
The decision:
Users had to sign transactions on both Bitcoin and Ethereum in sequence. Most got lost. I color-coded the entire flow, yellow for Bitcoin, purple for EVM, so operations teams could instantly tell which chain they were on. Then I built a linear wizard that made a multi-chain bridge feel like filling out a form.
Visualizing the full journey in one view, turning a complex technical bridge into a simple, guided workflow.
A centralized dashboard to manage the asset lifecycle. Teams can track in-progress vaults and safely execute the next step, whether that is minting tokens or redeeming Bitcoin.
Phase 3: Revenue Vision
Goal:
Show investors that dlcBTC could generate yield, not just sit in a wallet.
The decision:
The staking market is fragmented and noisy. I designed a single dashboard that pulled every opportunity into one view, with a card layout that buried the technical specs and surfaced what matters: APY and one deposit button. A ten-step process compressed into one click.
Bringing different staking offers together into one simple, comparable list.
Hiding the technical complexity to focus the user on the reward and the deposit action.
“Rok started with UI but quickly became a key strategic partner — contributing across UX, messaging, and investor decks.”
Aki Balogh
BitSafe
What I Learned
Speed over perfection
In a chaotic startup, you cannot wait for the perfect process. I learned to trade pixel perfection for speed. We built flexible systems that allowed us to tear down and rebuild the product in days instead of weeks.
Acting as a translator
Our technology was abstract and invisible. I learned that my role went beyond UI. I had to create the narrative. By producing infographics and animations, I helped the team and investors finally visualize the product we were building.
Safety over style
In crypto, boring is good. If a user is confused, they won't deposit money. I learned to prioritize clear, linear flows over flashy interactions. Making the user feel safe is the only metric that matters.
Next Project →
PhoneIn
App Design • UX Design • Branding • Website Design
View project →