The Difference Between Building for Web3 Users vs Real Users

There are two very different audiences in Web3.

They look similar on the surface.

They use the same tools. They interact with the same platforms.

But they behave differently.

And building for one is not the same as building for the other.

Who Web3 Users Actually Are

Web3 users are familiar with the space.

They:

• Understand wallets
• Accept complexity
• Expect some level of friction
• Know how systems work

They’ve already adapted.

They’ve learned the rules.

And they’re willing to operate within them.

Who Real Users Are

Real users are everyone else.

They:

• Don’t understand the underlying technology
• Don’t want to learn new systems
• Expect simplicity
• Expect things to work immediately

They don’t adapt to the system.

They expect the system to adapt to them.

The Core Difference in Expectations

Web3 users expect:

• Control
• Flexibility
• Transparency

Real users expect:

• Ease
• Speed
• Clarity

Web3 users tolerate friction.

Real users avoid it.

Why Most Products Target the Wrong Audience

Many Web3 products are built for Web3 users.

They:

• Assume knowledge
• Expose complexity
• Prioritize technical features

This works for early adoption.

But it limits growth.

Because the audience is small.

The Comfort of Building for Familiar Users

Building for Web3 users is easier.

They:

• Understand the system
• Provide feedback
• Engage quickly

This creates:

• Faster iteration
• Early traction
• Visible activity

But it doesn’t create scale.

Why Real Users Don’t Convert

When real users encounter Web3 products, they face:

• Too many steps
• Too much responsibility
• Too much uncertainty

They don’t:

• Set up wallets easily
• Understand transactions
• Trust the process

So they leave.

Not because they aren’t interested.

But because the experience isn’t designed for them.

The Cost of Misalignment

If a product is designed for Web3 users:

• It remains niche
• It struggles to onboard new users
• It depends on the same audience

This creates:

• Limited growth
• Recycled users
• Slower adoption

What Building for Real Users Looks Like

Products built for real users:

• Hide complexity
• Simplify interaction
• Deliver value immediately

They:

• Reduce onboarding friction
• Provide clear outcomes
• Feel familiar

Web3 becomes:

• The infrastructure
• Not the experience

Why This Shift Is Necessary

The next phase of Web3 isn’t about:

• Serving the existing audience

It’s about:

• Expanding beyond it

This requires:

• Rethinking design
• Rethinking assumptions
• Rethinking priorities

The Transition From Niche to Mainstream

Web3 users built the foundation.

Real users create adoption.

The transition happens when:

• Products stop assuming knowledge
• Systems stop exposing complexity
• Experiences become intuitive

That’s when growth accelerates.

WTF does it all mean?

Building for Web3 users creates traction.

Building for real users creates scale.

And you can’t reach one by optimizing for the other.

Because in the end, Web3 doesn’t grow when more Web3 users show up.

It grows when everyone else does.

Want to Go Deeper?

If you want to understand how to build products that move beyond the Web3 bubble and reach real users, I break it down across my books.

Start here:
https://books.jasonansell.ca/

Or check out:

• Understanding Web3 – A practical breakdown of how real users interact with these systems
  https://books.jasonansell.ca/mastering-crypto-series/understanding-web3
• Understanding Blockchain – The foundation behind scalable systems
  https://books.jasonansell.ca/mastering-crypto-series/understanding-blockchain
• A Beginner’s Guide to Cryptocurrency – How new users actually enter the space
  https://books.jasonansell.ca/mastering-crypto-series/a-beginners-guide-to-cryptocurrency