Bitsafe: Making Bitcoin Smart
Rok Rupnik
Bitsafe
Context
Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) let Bitcoin behave like a smart contract, without moving the coins. Powerful tech, but completely invisible to users.
I was the sole designer. My job was to make this protocol feel like a product, and help the team raise money while doing it.
Impact
$2M pre-seed raised
Supported closing 3 key partnerships
Business model pivot identified through design validation, not just engineering
Phase 1: Native Wallet Integration
Show wallet providers that technology could live inside their existing apps.
Phase 2: The Institutional Pivot
Build a B2B minting flow where institutions lock Bitcoin to mint dlcBTC on Ethereum.
Visualizing the full journey in one view, turning a complex technical bridge into a simple, guided workflow.
A centralized dashboard to manage the asset lifecycle. Teams can track in-progress vaults and safely execute the next step, whether that is minting tokens or redeeming Bitcoin.
Phase 3: Revenue Vision
Show investors that dlcBTC could generate yield, not just sit in a wallet.
Bringing different staking offers together into one simple, comparable list.
Hiding the technical complexity to focus the user on the reward and the deposit action.
4. Outcome
We didn't just design screens; we validated a business model. While the initial consumer app didn't launch, the design work successfully proved that DLCs could be made usable. This technical validation allowed Bitsafe to successfully pivot into an institutional infrastructure provider.
“Rok started with UI but quickly became a key strategic partner — contributing across UX, messaging, and investor decks.”
Aki Balogh, BitSafe
5. What I Learned
Speed over perfection
In a chaotic startup, you cannot wait for the perfect process. I learned to trade pixel perfection for speed. We built flexible systems that allowed us to tear down and rebuild the product in days instead of weeks.
Acting as a translator
Our technology was abstract and invisible. I learned that my role went beyond UI. I had to create the narrative. By producing infographics and animations, I helped the team and investors finally visualize the product we were building.
Safety over style
In crypto, boring is good. If a user is confused, they won't deposit money. I learned to prioritize clear, linear flows over flashy interactions. Making the user feel safe is the only metric that matters.
Like this project
Posted May 6, 2026
Turned invisible Bitcoin technology into a product that helped raise $2M and close 3 partnerships.
Likes
0
Views
1
Timeline
Jun 1, 2022 - Feb 1, 2025
Clients
Bitsafe
