The brief
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 the protocol feel like a product, and to help the team raise money while doing it.
Impact
- $2M pre-seed raised.
- Supported closing 3 key partnerships.
- Identified a business-model pivot through design validation — not just engineering.
Phase 1
Native wallet integration
Goal: show wallet providers that DLCs could live inside their existing apps. I designed a white-label locking flow that matched standard wallet UX — no new app, no learning curve. A sales tool disguised as a prototype.
Three partners signed. The process also surfaced a critical flaw: native locking meant users held the keys, which blocked forced liquidations. Design validated the tech and killed a dead-end business model early.
Phase 2
The institutional pivot
Goal: a B2B minting flow where institutions lock Bitcoin to mint dlcBTC on Ethereum. Users had to sign on both chains in sequence — most got lost.
I color-coded the flow (yellow for Bitcoin, purple for EVM) so ops teams always knew which chain they were on, then 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: track in-progress vaults and safely execute the next step.
Phase 3
Revenue vision
Goal: show investors dlcBTC could generate yield, not just sit in a wallet. The staking market is fragmented and noisy.
I designed a single dashboard that pulls every opportunity into one view — a card layout that buries the technical specs and surfaces 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.”
What I learned
Speed over perfection
In a chaotic startup you can’t wait for the perfect process. I traded pixel perfection for speed, building flexible systems we could tear down and rebuild in days instead of weeks.
Acting as a translator
Our tech was abstract and invisible. My role went beyond UI — I had to create the narrative. Infographics and animations helped the team and investors finally visualize what we were building.
Safety over style
In crypto, boring is good. If a user is confused, they won’t deposit. I prioritized clear, linear flows over flashy interactions. Making the user feel safe is the only metric that matters.
Every product starts with a clear next step.
Walk me through what you're working on. I'll show you where I'd start.
