3 April 2025

Crypto UX Writing: How to Make Web3 Language Feel Human

Crypto UX Writing: How to Make Web3 Language Feel Human

Great UX isn’t just about buttons and layouts—it’s also about the words.

In Web3, language is UX. Every click involves risk. Every message matters. And the wrong copy can confuse users, scare them off, or make your product feel untrustworthy.

Here’s how to write better UX copy for your Web3 product—so users feel safe, informed, and confident.

1. Default to Human, Not Technical

Bad:

“Sign message to authenticate”

Better:

“Confirm you own this wallet to continue”

Users don’t want to decode blockchain jargon. They want to know:

  • What’s happening

  • Why it matters

  • What they need to do

✅ Tip: Write like you’re explaining the action to a smart friend—not a Solidity dev.

2. Every Wallet Interaction Needs Clear Context

Most users don’t understand what they’re signing. That’s terrifying when real money is involved.

Don’t just say “Sign this transaction.”

Do say:

  • “You’re approving this app to use your USDC”

  • “This action won’t cost gas—just confirms your wallet”

  • “You’ll see a wallet popup now to approve this step”

✅ Tip: Pre-empt what the wallet will show and explain it in plain language first.

3. Design for Emotion, Not Just Clarity

In crypto, users often feel:

  • Nervous

  • Confused

  • Cautious

  • Skeptical

Your UX writing should acknowledge that and reduce tension.

Instead of cold, passive copy like:

“Transaction submitted”

Try:

“You’re all set! Your trade is on the way 🚀”

✅ Tip: Use friendly microcopy, success states, and confidence boosters—especially around high-friction actions.

4. Use Tooltips to Explain Without Overloading

Good Web3 UX doesn’t throw all info on one screen. It uses progressive disclosure.

That’s where tooltips, info icons, and expandable help come in:

  • “What’s slippage?” → Quick tooltip with visuals

  • “What am I signing?” → Plain-text explanation before wallet pops up

  • “Why do I need to connect?” → Show benefits, not just steps

✅ Tip: Hide complexity, but don’t remove it—let users choose when they want to learn more.

5. Consistency Builds Trust

Calling the same thing by three names across your product? That’s a fast track to user doubt.

Decide early:

  • Do you say tokens, assets, or coins?

  • Do you use sign or approve?

  • Do you call it staking, locking, or depositing?

✅ Tip: Create a product language guide. Keep terms consistent across UI, modals, and error states.

Bonus: Common Web3 Copy Fixes

🧨 Bad Copy✅ Better Copy“Sign message”“Confirm this wallet is yours to continue”“Approve token”“Give this app permission to use your USDC”“Transaction failed”“Something went wrong—your tokens are still safe”“Wallet not connected”“Connect your wallet to get started”“Error: gas limit too low”“This transaction needs a higher gas fee to complete”

TL;DR

  • Great Web3 UX starts with great writing

  • Use plain language, not protocol speak

  • Pre-empt wallet actions with clear context

  • Inject emotion and trust into the product voice

  • Be consistent across your entire product

At Halaska, we help teams improve both design and language—because you can’t have one without the other in Web3.

Need help writing a Web3 interface that makes sense? [Let’s talk →]

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completed

Led by Chris Halaska
(ex-Google)

experts

20 years
experience

top designers

Top-Level
Designers

UX

Fast execution with
expert-level quality

completed

Led by Chris Halaska
(ex-Google)

experts

20 years
experience

top designers

Top-Level
Designers

UX

Fast execution with
expert-level quality

completed

Led by Chris Halaska
(ex-Google)

experts

20 years
experience

top designers

Top-Level
Designers

UX

Fast execution with
expert-level quality