Pay with Crypto Anywhere: Reown’s UX Fix Makes It Fast and Smooth

Reown’s Vision for a Seamless Crypto Experience

Reown is developing the foundational infrastructure that enables cryptocurrency payments to function smoothly across apps, wallets, and blockchain networks. The company originated from WalletConnect, an open-source protocol that became a crucial tool for Web3 connectivity. Under the leadership of CEO Jess Houlgrave, Reown is focused on making crypto accessible to everyone by eliminating the friction that has hindered widespread adoption for years.

In an interview, Jess Houlgrave emphasized the importance of improving the user experience in the crypto space as a key factor in achieving mainstream adoption. She discussed Reown’s mission to simplify Web3, the evolution of its WalletConnect network, and how decentralization, artificial intelligence, and regulatory clarity can drive the next phase of real-world crypto payments.

Web3 Remains Too Hard for Most People

Jess began by highlighting a fundamental challenge in the crypto industry: the unrealistic expectations placed on everyday users. “We have, for too long, expected users to download wallets, manage their seed phrases, and store 24 words under their mattresses to keep their funds secure,” she said. While progress is being made, innovations like smart accounts and sponsored transactions are starting to reduce the barriers to entry.

Blockchain Should Disappear Into the Background

For Jess, the ultimate goal is to make blockchain technology invisible to the end user. “The end user doesn’t need to know what gas is,” she explained. Users shouldn’t need to understand chains, gas, or tokens. The real progress happens when the technology operates seamlessly in the background.

She envisioned a future where crypto becomes as ubiquitous as the internet itself. “Crypto and blockchain will become something we all use every day. We might not think about it as crypto, and we might not even know that it’s blockchain under the hood.”

Reown’s mission is to eliminate silos and enable full access across wallets, apps, and chains. “The dream is that anyone with any wallet can use that anywhere, on any chain, without needing to understand what crypto is beneath the hood.”

From WalletConnect to Reown: A Foundation for Interoperability

Reown started with WalletConnect, a communication layer that allowed wallets and applications to interact more effectively. “Only certain wallets would work with certain apps. Only certain merchants could accept funds from certain wallets,” Jess noted. In Web2, people use different payment methods for different needs, and in Web3, different chains and assets will serve similar purposes.

Reown solved this by creating a network where “any wallet could be anywhere,” allowing users to transact without hitting compatibility walls. Today, the network supports around 700 different wallets and 60,000 different applications.

How Reown Aims to Decentralize WalletConnect

Jess explained that the WalletConnect network is currently run by about 22 node operators, and Reown’s long-term goal is to increase that number significantly. “It’s what means the network can one day be fully censorship-resistant in a world where Reown as a company doesn’t exist.”

The WalletConnect token allows ecosystem participants to govern the protocol and earn rewards. However, building a decentralized network that permeates daily life won’t happen overnight. It depends on removing the roadblocks that still keep most people out of crypto, starting with regulation and user experience.

Adoption Demands Clarity and Usability

Jess expressed her hope for more aligned regulations globally. “I think the lack of clarity of regulation around the world often slows down the adoption of crypto.” At the same time, she highlighted the rising demand for stablecoin payments, especially in underserved markets.

“Seeing adoption of stablecoin payments in Africa, in Latin America… that’s where we're seeing the highest growth.” However, she admitted that the user experience still lags. “What was interesting to me also was the number of people who said that they really wanted to pay with crypto… I probably fall into that same category… I don’t do it because the user experience is still poor.”

No More Theory but Action

Jess concluded by urging action to push adoption forward. “It’s only really by using, by talking about it, by asking people to accept crypto for payments… that we really start to spin this flywheel of adoption.” She encouraged people to talk to local businesses about why they do or don’t accept crypto and to try paying with crypto whenever possible.

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