# @dwr: 9 thoughts on consumer crypto onboarding and mobile UX challenges

Source: https://x.com/dwr/status/1955318023826419797

## Summary

Dan Romero (@dwr) lists nine observations on consumer crypto onboarding and mobile UX, with the core claim that products requiring seamless onchain interaction will push most people back to Web2 if users must switch apps for each transaction or maintain spend permissions. The post states that most consumers spend their free time on mobile, prefer native apps over PWAs, and do not have a pre-existing wallet. It adds that mobile deeplinks between apps are unreliable, especially on iOS, and that adding choices in onboarding flows reduces conversion. It also says world-class Web2 consumer apps typically onboard with a phone number, sometimes an email address, and recommends building on an open protocol so power users can bring their own wallet.

## Article

Thoughts on consumer crypto onboarding

1. Most consumers spend their free time on mobile, not desktop.

2. Most consumers prefer native apps over PWAs.

3. Most consumers do not have a pre-existing wallet.

4. Mobile deeplinks between apps are unreliable, especially on iOS.

5. Adding choices in onboarding flows reduces conversion.

6. World-class Web2 consumer apps typically onboard with a phone number, sometimes an email address.

7. If your core UX requires seamless onchain interactions, forcing users to switch to another app for each transaction—or expecting them to maintain spend permissions—will push most people back to Web2.

8. Consumers don’t care about standards; they care whether the app is entertaining, interesting, or solves an immediate problem. They’ll set up a new wallet/identity if it delivers on one of those.

9. To serve power users who want to bring their own wallet, build your app on an open protocol/data/API so others can create clients for them.