Coinbase has recently gained attention from the blockchain community for issues surrounding its application’s user experience (UX). This has been brought to light by Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, as the company kick-started its “Onchain Summer” – a period filled with new product launches, brand promotions, and the introduction of non-fungible tokens on its new layer-2 network, Base.
The “Onchain Summer,” kicking off on Aug. 9 until Aug. 31, has seemingly exposed the weaknesses in the Coinbase app’s UX, particularly regarding non-fungible tokens, decentralized applications, and layer-2 operations. Armstrong has made public calls to users, requesting feedback to address the issues that are the most pressing to the community.
This approach, coupled with commitments for rapid fixes within a fortnight, demonstrates the company’s priority of the user experience and the willingness to face challenges head-on. Prominent responses to this outreach campaign included the need for faster settlement credit cards for Coinbase without necessitating separate accounts, alongside addressing ongoing bug causing connectivity issues between Coinbase’s mobile wallet and Google Chrome. Armstrong acknowledged the persistence of this bug and expressed intent to resolve it.
However, the cryptocurrency sector at large experiences issues with UX, as blockchain-based applications often focus heavily on ownership and irreversibility; this sometimes compromises interface clarity and ease of use. And while the convoluted nature of blockchain technology can complicate the design of the app interface, progress in making blockchain activity “invisible” can help drive mass adoption.
In the context of Coinbase, the commitment to taking onboard user feedback, addressing persisting bugs, and prioritizing the improvement of user experience is worthy of applause. Yet, it’s worth noting that for this aim to be fully realized, more advances must also occur within blockchain technology and application design itself – to ensure the technology is not an impediment to UX.
Despite the criticisms and challenges faced, Coinbase’s initiative to openly admit and resolve these user experience issues gives its users hope for the improved functionality of Coinbase’s layer-2 network Base and, in general, the entire blockchain sector. The success of these improvements could significantly elevate the current customer experience offered by Coinbase, enabling its users to participate in the exciting wave of technological innovations in the crypto environment in a seamless and rewarding manner.
Source: Cointelegraph
