Editorial staff
Building out a successful blockchain startup takes a lot more than a “build-it-and-they-will-come” mindset. The space is as crowded as it has ever been, user behavior is shifting, investors are skeptical, and the technology is still complex to the vast majority of people.
Yet, there are still a handful of companies each year that manage to overcome these hurdles and establish themselves as serious contenders in the blockchain space. So what is their secret? The difference rarely comes down to luck.
It is the methodical execution of five non-negotiable ingredients. Skip one, and the entire structure wobbles. Nail all five, and the odds of crossing the chasm from white paper to working protocol swing heavily in your favor.
Pinpoint a Real, Costly Problem First
The graveyard of failed token projects is littered with solutions that sound very impressive, but in reality, they aren’t really solving any real problems. A winning blockchain project begins with a problem that is very easily defined, actually exists, and is commonly experienced by people.
Once you’ve identified this pain point, conduct thorough research. Who loses money? Who loses time? Who loses trust?
Map out all of these friction points to a single, plain English sentence that even the least technical people could still understand. If the pain isn’t obvious, there is little chance that the product will be widely adopted (or even understood).
Once the pain is locked, validate it fast. Interview potential users and pay close attention to how they describe the problem and what it costs them. This should serve as your guide for all future decisions, including building the product and designing the UX, as well as positioning yourself in the market (more on that in the next point).
Get Your Blockchain Marketing Strategy Right
Marketing in Web3 shouldn’t be seen as something to add only after you’ve built your product. It’s the actual engine that drives your entire project.
The crypto market moves at the speed of memes, and attention is fragmented across places like Twitter, Telegram, Discord, Reddit, YouTube, and a dozen other channels.
A well-thought-out blockchain marketing strategy must encompass the entire journey of a potential user/investor, from the initial glance at a tweet to the moment they actually make a transaction on your protocol.
That means starting with razor-sharp positioning. This needs to revolve around one clear thought that names your audience, states the costly problem you solve, and clarifies why a decentralized approach is actually what’s needed. From there, every public touchpoint (website copy, docs, social threads, podcast interviews) needs to echo that same mantra until it becomes muscle memory for your community. Consistency wins trust faster than any stunt or gimmick can.
If you’re just getting started and are still in the startup phase, you need to move things forward quickly so you can build up some momentum. Crypto culture churns through ideas at meme speed, so your content engine must operate on a predictable cadence. Ship technical deep dives on release day, follow that with an architectural post-mortem a week later, then invite early users to an AMA that surfaces real-world wins and inevitable pain points.
Every blog post, tweet, or podcast should be part of a comprehensive blockchain PR plan that tells a single, cohesive story. Start talking to crypto journalists well before you need coverage and hand them angles grounded in real users and hard numbers. A write-up in CoinTelegraph or The Block gives you instant street cred with early adopters. You could then follow up on pieces in Forbes or Bloomberg, translating that success for enterprises and regulators.
Design a Friction-Free Onboarding Experience
Once people have heard your story and are familiar with your brand, their next question will naturally be about how to use your product effectively. However, even in 2025, most crypto solutions remain complex and not particularly user-friendly. People (especially non-technicals) find things like self-custody intimidating, gas fees confusing, and chain selection jargon-heavy. Turning that hesitation into confidence is the third make-or-break ingredient.
Start by removing as much complexity and friction as possible from your on-ramp. If you can, hide the blockchain complexity behind the scenes. Let users start with an email and password, or sign in with their social media accounts, just like with any other app they use. You can introduce wallet concepts later, once they have seen and felt the value.
When things start to become more complex, guide users through it gently. Provide a variety of tutorials, including both written and video formats. Use simple language instead of crypto terms. For some inspiration, look at how Coinbase has developed its educational pages.
While this may feel like overkill (and it may be for crypto-natives), the reality is that you must bring every user along the journey and ensure your product is as widely accessible as possible.
From there, test your onboarding flow with individuals who have no prior experience with cryptocurrency. Watch them try to sign up and observe how they get on. Every place they get confused or stuck is a place you need to fix. Continue iterating until you reach your desired destination.
The companies that nail this simple approach don't just get more users, they end up with users who actually stick around and become advocates for the product.
Final Word
Launching a blockchain project is no longer as straightforward as it once was. The competition is as tough as ever, and people are skeptical of new projects they’ve never heard of. The good news is that there are ways to overcome these challenges, and it all starts with these three ingredients we have shared in the blog.
Pinpointing a widely felt, costly problem sets your direction. A full-funnel marketing engine, combined with crypto public relations, supplies the momentum. A frictionless, trust-centric user experience converts that momentum into lasting traction.
Follow this with discipline, and your own launch stands a great chance of joining that short list of blockchain projects people actually use rather than merely speculate on.
Editorial staff
