Thread by @dergigi

1/ Bitcoin still feels weird, clunky, and complicated at times. Because it is! But so was any kind of computer network, not too long ago.

Some thoughts on Bitcoin's UX.👇

swanbitcoin.com/on-bitcoins-ux/

2/ We often forget how far we have come, and how difficult the most basic stuff used to be. In Bitcoin, some of the basic stuff is still difficult.

Pete in 1991: "What is an IRQ?"
Peter in 2020: "What is an XPUB?"

3/ But also in Bitcoin we have come far: BIP32, BIP39, BIP44, BIP141 - all of them make Bitcoin easier to use. We take them for granted, but we shouldn't. A lot of thought and hard work went into these improvements, leading to better UX in the end.

4/ Bitcoin is not a shiny new toy. It is free open-source software that gives rise to an open protocol. It is a computer network enabling everyone to opt-in to a libre financial system, birthing an absolutely scarce asset. It's not an iPhone. It's the Linux of money, at best.

5/ Most of the complicated stuff will be abstracted away over time. Just like we don't have the deal with IP addresses anymore (most of the time) we probably won't have to deal with XPUBs in the future. At least not directly. Under the hood, all of it will still be there.

6/ An army of people is working tirelessly to make Bitcoin better and easier for everyone. The closer these improvements are to the base layer, the more technical the discussions around them will be. It's hard, mostly thankless and invisible work. (Thank you, devs!❤️)

7/ Some are working on the protocol itself, some on the reference implementation, some on theoretical research around signatures and the like. People like @pwuille @jfnewbery @orionwl @_jonasschnelli_ @LukeDashjr et al. improve upon the magic that is already there. Thank you!

8/ Some are working on higher layers in the form of open protocols and open-source software. Lightning Network, @BtcpayServer, @Raspiblitz, and so on. All of it is beautiful. All of it is necessary. Some of it is complicated.

9/ Some are working on end-user products. Whether it is to improve on- and off-ramps, fungibility and privacy, multi-sig, or node software. Many focus on UX, making stuff as easy as currently possible.

10/ I strongly believe that Bitcoin will get easier over time. Today, your smartphone connects to your WiFi automatically. Setting up a network connection is trivial. No IRQ, no IP addresses, no configuration. It will be the same for Bitcoin. We will make good things.

11/ BUT: We don't want to compromise on the things that make Bitcoin great in the first place. We all want better UX, but we have to do it right.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a great temporary UX, will soon have neither Liberty nor a great UX."

Bonus: Make sure to also read @giacomozucco's thread on how bad times create strong tools and vice versa.

👇

https://twitter.com/giacomozucco/status/1306884422785011712?s=20