BlockMiners
Bitcoin for beginners, explained by doing: tap to mine a block and watch the chain grow, on your own or with friends nearby.
The short version
- Problem
- Beginners often see Bitcoin as confusing or untrustworthy, not because of its fundamentals, but because early explanations tend to be too technical or abstract.
- What we built
- A lightweight educational app that helps people form intuition through simple visuals and interactive explanations, rather than walls of text.
- What happened
- Users grasped foundational concepts without any prior knowledge of cryptocurrency, and we were invited to showcase BlockMiners at Bitcoin Conference 2025.
The problem
Technical jargon like “proof of work” and “hashing” makes beginners give up fast. The learning curve feels too steep before they even start.
There’s also a trust barrier. Most explanations feel more like sales pitches than education, which makes skeptics even more skeptical rather than curious.
My role
- Problem framing and concept direction
- User flow and learning experience design
- Feature prioritization and scope decisions
- Iteration based on user feedback
BlockMiners was built collaboratively as a team project at the Apple Developer Academy.
Decisions
Clarity
instead of completeness
We prioritized intuitive understanding over technical accuracy. Getting the “feel” right mattered more than covering every detail.
Analogies
instead of definitions
We used visual metaphors to explain abstract concepts, lowering the barrier to entry.
Interaction
instead of text
Instead of reading about mining, users actually experience it. Learning by doing stuck better than paragraphs.
Intentional scope
instead of advanced topics
We deliberately left out advanced topics. Overwhelming users early would defeat the purpose.
What we built
BlockMiners walks users through what a block represents, why mining exists, and how incentives connect participants. The experience is short, focused, and judgment-free.
- Visual explainers. Animated visuals show how blocks connect, without long explanations.
- Interactive mining. Users tap to “mine” and watch the chain update in real time, which makes the abstract feel tangible.
- Progressive learning. Concepts unlock gradually, building on what users already understand.
- Play together. Friends nearby join the same simulated network, so mining becomes something you do with other people.
Outcome
- Users grasped Bitcoin basics without any prior knowledge of cryptocurrency
- We were invited to showcase the product at Bitcoin Conference 2025
“It’s the first time I actually understood how mining works, and it was fun.”
What I learned
BlockMiners moved me from asking which features to build to asking what the experience should feel like for someone new. It shaped how I think about users, learning curves, and what to leave out.
- Confusion is a design signal, not a user flaw
- Good products start with the right problem framing
- Trade-offs define products more than features do
- Leaving things out is often the hardest, and most important, decision