Hiding the wires’ helps usher in web3’s killer app
The industry’s technical superpowers are what make blockchains so special, yet have also hindered mainstream adoption to date. For creators and fans, blockchains unlock connectivity, ownership, and monetization… But industry-insider jargon (“NFTs,” “zkRollups”, etc.) — and complex design — puts up barriers for those who benefit most from the technologies. I’ve seen this firsthand in countless conversations with media, music, and fashion executives interested in web3.
Mass adoption for many consumer technologies has followed this path: began with the technology; some iconic company/ designer abstracts away the complexity; the move helps unlock some breakthrough app. Think about where email started — SMTP protocols hidden behind the “send” button; or credit cards, where most users today don’t think about the payment rails. Similarly, Spotify revolutionized music not by flaunting file formats — but by delivering song playlists to our fingertips. As Nassim Taleb observed, “Over-engineering breeds fragility. Simplicity scales.”
That’s why I think our industry will adopt this ethos in 2025: “hide the wires”. The best decentralized apps are already focusing on more intuitive interfaces, to become as easy as tapping a screen or swiping a card. In 2025, we’ll see more companies design simply and communicate clearly; successful products don’t explain; they solve.