COMPANY
CoinDCX
YEAR
2025
Overview
Designed a simple mode for Crypto Futures that abstracts the complexities involved in Futures trading and helps new users get started with Futures trading.
My role
Challenges
Our Advanced Mobile Terminal for Futures trading, while ideal for power users, presented a significant barrier for new traders. As we had already solved for pro traders' needs, we wanted to expand the target base by cross-selling Futures to new traders and existing Spot traders. But there were challenges such as:
Overwhelming complexity:
The advanced interface, with its dense data, multiple order types, and sophisticated controls, was intimidating for beginners.
Fear of “Futures":
The inherent market perception of Futures as excessively complex and risky, often associated with significant losses, compounded user apprehension.
Steep learning curve:
New users were confronted with many unfamiliar and complex concepts right from the start, such as leverage, position size, and liquidation price - a big mental burden for these users.
High drop-offs in first order journey:
From data, we observed that even after successfully adding funds to their Futures wallet, a significant no. of users were not able to place their first order in the same session.
Business impact:
We were losing out on potential revenue from a portion of new users and existing Spot traders who had the intent but found it difficult to adopt Futures.
Research & insights
We talked to existing Spot traders and users new to the app to understand why they are not able to adopt Futures trading:
“Gamified" hypothesis:
We hypothesized that a simplified, almost gamified experience that feels more intuitive & less like traditional finance, could reduce apprehension and encourage initial engagement.
Prioritizing confidence:
New users often had fear of Futures in general. They just needed to know Futures wasn't too hard. They wanted things to be super simple, not lots of features.
Identifying fear points:
We understood that users wanted fewer financial jargons and found it difficult to understand the concept of leverage and how it affects their risk/returns. Position size, liquidation, margin etc. were all new terms for them.
Difficulty in giving Position size input:
As they were used to thinking in terms of the amount they wanted to invest/use for a trade, they found it difficult to give input in terms of position size. This also made it confusing for them to understand the minimum amount needed to place an order.
Solution
We designed simple mode for Futures trading, crafted to be approachable, intuitive, and reduce risk for beginners:
"Simple vs Advanced" choice for users:
We started showing users a choice between 'Simple’ and 'Advanced’ modes when they visited Futures for the first time. This ensured that both kind of users could select the mode relevant to them.
Easy looking interface:
Instead of a complicated order form, we used two big, easy-to-see buttons: Up and Down . This immediately made the main trading choice of Long vs Short simple - just pick which way you think the market will go, making it inviting to try.
Simple way to start a trade:
To keep it easy and smooth, new users could only place Market orders - buy or sell right away at the current price, without needing to know about other complex order types.
Limited risk:
We limited the max leverage to 5x, to prevent new users from taking too much risk on their first trades, helping them learn safely.
Simplified leverage explanation:
We added an easy explainer for leverage, like: "2x leverage means you get 2x returns, but you can lose your capital if price drops by 50%"
Input Margin , not Position size:
Users didn't have to figure out how big their trade should be. They just typed in how much money they wanted to use (margin), and the system did the rest.
Additional cross sell properties:
We added cross-sell elements in simple buy/sell (Spot) journeys for targeted Spot traders that brought them to the new simple Futures experience.
Reduced decision points & data:
We hid or simplified anything that wasn't essential, only showing what new users needed to feel confident and make their first successful trade.
Outcomes & impact
The launch of the simple mode for Crypto Futures saw great results, validating our design approach:
Increased conversion for Futures:
The simplified experience empowered a significant number of previously hesitant users to confidently take their first step into Futures trading, directly improving conversion rates for new users and existing Spot traders.
Faster first orders:
The average time it took for a new user to place their first Futures order dropped by half (50%).
High adoption:
Approximately 45% of all users placing their very first Futures order (in the first 30 days after launch) utilized the simple mode, demonstrating its need & effectiveness in addressing initial friction.
Pathway to advanced engagement:
By successfully onboarding new traders, the simple mode acted as a crucial gateway, allowing users to build confidence in Futures trading. We can gradually transition these users to the more advanced trading experience, contributing to deeper engagement and overall platform growth.
