01 — Gnosis
Making self-custody feel like fintech — not like crypto.
Overview
A self-custodial smart wallet with cards, IBANs, instant global transfers, swaps and spending. Zero fees, no blockchain complexity.
My work spans the entire customer journey: Apple/Google Pay deposits, sending money via link, swapping currencies, SEPA transfers, and activating both virtual and physical cards.
Soft eligibility check
Preventing late surprises with upfront verification.
Two separate KYCs with misaligned rules meant a user could pass one but fail the other late in the flow. I designed a soft eligibility check upfront: only users who qualify can proceed. No wasted effort, no rejection after 10 minutes of onboarding.
Swap
Currency conversion that feels like a calculator, not a DEX.
Users swap between dollars, euros and crypto with zero fees. Under the hood it runs on CoW Protocol, but the interface hides every trace of DeFi complexity. You pick a currency, type an amount, and confirm. No slippage warnings, no gas estimation, no token approvals.
Activity feed
A real banking feed, with every state handled.
Received, sent, pending, failed, swaps, multi-currency; the activity feed handles every transaction type and edge case. Failed transactions show a retry CTA. Pending shows live status. Swap transactions show the conversion pair. Each row is information-dense but scannable.
IBAN & deposits
Your own IBAN, powered by self-custody.
Users get a personal IBAN to receive EUR deposits from any bank. The details screen shows beneficiary, IBAN, and BIC with one-tap copy. Under the hood it's Monerium infrastructure integrated into the Gnosis wallet, but to the user it looks and feels like opening a bank account.
Visa debit card
From virtual to physical - the full card experience.
Users get a virtual Visa card instantly and can order a physical one. Every purchase earns cashback. Card transactions, spending limits, freeze controls, and multi-currency support. All designed to feel like the card tab in any mainstream banking app. Zero FX fees globally.
Email recovery
High-stakes recovery that feels like resetting a password.
Gnosis is fully self-custodial. No seed phrases. When users lose access, it's catastrophic. I designed an email-based recovery flow using guardian contracts: a 72-hour security timelock with a live countdown, a persistent cancel option, and language that never mentions blockchain. The result feels like "forgot password," not "you might lose all your funds."
Key Design Decisions
Progressive disclosure of crypto
No "stablecoins," just euros, pounds, dollars. No "gas fees," just network costs. No block explorers, just "open public record." Clear language turned self-custody into reassurance instead of burden.
Translating regulatory constraints into calm flows.
Restructured the flow into a single continuous path. Negotiated the reuse of an existing KYC, eliminating a second identity check and removing a major blocker to adoption.
Predictable decision points
Across every flow; deposit, SEPA, international send, swap, card usage, Pay-via-Link, I focused on reducing cognitive load. Users go from first transaction to advanced features without ever needing to understand the infrastructure underneath.
Pushing back on blockchain language
Engineers often wanted extra screens to justify second on-chain transaction like "no funds are being moved." or "deploying". I pushed back because introducing jargon would create confusion and fear. We triggered a lot behind the scenes, even though it was more engineering work.
Outcomes & Learnings
01
Fewer dead ends in support. Single continuous flow eliminated the most common drop-off points.
02
KYC completion improved after moving eligibility checks upfront. No more late "not eligible" surprises.
03
Fully compliant, but feels like mainstream fintech. Self-custody backbone, neobank surface.
04
Key learning: move regulatory friction upfront and explain it — don't surprise users with it later.
Next project
Multi-chain swap →
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