Temple Trading Platform Design

Temple is building the highest quality infrastructure for institutional grade asset trading on Canton, a privacy-first blockchain network designed for regulated finance. I designed the initial V1 design of the temple web and mobile app, which was then refined in close collaboration with Evan Varsamis (CEO) and developed by John Antoniou (CTO) and Mark Martinez (VP of Engineering).

Canton Network is a privacy-enabled blockchain designed for institutional finance, built by Digital Asset and backed by major financial institutions including Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, and Deutsche Börse. Canton required a trading platform that could handle institutional-grade complexity while maintaining the accessibility of modern consumer fintech. The platform needed to support real-time order book visualization, cross-chain asset bridging, and multi-timeframe charting. All of this had to meet strict regulatory compliance requirements.

Our design began with research into professional trading workflows, along with first-hand experience from previous volleys into fintech application design and user data. I mapped out the core user journeys, from wallet connection to trade execution, and identified key friction points in existing DeFi platforms. The initial concepts focused on progressive disclosure: showing essential information at a glance while keeping advanced tools one click away.

Moving at startup speed, our project followed a quick design sprint methodology adapted for fintech constraints. Discovery began with adjacent competitive analysis of institutional platforms (Bloomberg Terminal, Refinitiv Eikon) alongside DeFi interfaces (dYdX, GMX). We took a minimal style approach to version 1, focusing on a clean modern design and the key interactive tools for leveraging Canton. Mockups were rapidly iterated to high-fidelity design in Figma. The component library was built using Auto Layout and component variants, enabling quick iteration across desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints. Daily design reviews and Loom walkthroughs kept stakeholders aligned across time zones.

Moving at startup speed, our project followed a quick design sprint methodology adapted for fintech constraints. Discovery began with adjacent competitive analysis of institutional platforms (Bloomberg Terminal, Refinitiv Eikon) alongside DeFi interfaces (dYdX, GMX). We took a minimal style approach to version 1, focusing on a clean modern design and the key interactive tools for leveraging Canton. Mockups were rapidly iterated to high-fidelity design in Figma. The component library was built using Auto Layout and component variants, enabling quick iteration across desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints. Daily design reviews and Loom walkthroughs kept stakeholders aligned across time zones.

Got a project in mind? I'd love to hear about it. Reach out on Contra or email me and let's build something worth shipping hello@joshwags.com.

— Josh Waggoner