Source: Cointelegraph
Original: “Blockchain Technology Needs to Become Invisible to Go Mainstream”
Author: Mark Smargon, Co-founder and CEO of Fuse.io
The path to mainstream adoption of Web3 is filled with complexities, obstacles, challenges, regulations, and “moments,” among other terms. From one perspective, this is true. But from another angle: true adoption and transformation will be “invisible”—the large-scale integration of Web2 users into Web3 will be seamless, with not even a shadow of “blockchain” visible. Some technologies can only succeed by “disappearing.”
So how can the success of blockchain happen in our “invisible” state? The way is actually similar to how other technologies become indispensable: by hiding complexity under the hood.
Complexity is a barrier to user experience
Whether you like it or not, Web3 is currently burdened by a lot of technical complexity. These barriers make it difficult for non-technical individuals to participate, although it is not entirely impossible. Therefore, the current active community is mainly composed of engaged investors, gamers, and developers. But this certainly cannot be called mass adoption.
Managing wallet keys and mnemonics, understanding gas fee structures, navigating various cutting-edge platform interfaces, connecting wallets, signing digital signatures… for some, it is simply too cumbersome. Imagine your grandmother wanting to start yield farming—could she figure it out? Probably not. If she can’t, where does the problem lie? Not everyone possesses technical literacy. We must abstract these complexities to truly make it accessible to all potential users.
“Invisible” infrastructure will prevail
TCP/IP and cloud computing support the entire digital world, but among end users, very few know what they are or how they work. These technologies have become “invisible.” Blockchain technology will follow suit in the future.
Users do not need to understand or think about the complex internet protocols and infrastructure that support their digital environments, experiences, and interactions. Similarly, future Web3 users will not need to consciously interact with blockchain.
Stripe is a successful example of an “invisible technology” provider. They simplified Visa’s business model to a fixed 3% fee and integrated world-class API interfaces. All of this is hidden in the background, yet it has achieved remarkable success—Stripe has become one of the most successful B2B2C fintech companies in history, with transaction volumes exceeding $1 trillion, accounting for about 1% of global GDP.
Stripe’s achievements may have been difficult to realize before the emergence of Web3, highlighting its potential as a young company, especially in comparison to platforms like Meta, Google, and Amazon. Their ability to attract massive users and generate substantial revenue and profits is precisely due to hiding system complexity from users’ view.
The practical path of “invisible integration”
First, the technical complexity must be stripped away from the end user’s perspective, such as hiding gas fees and wallet management (or at least removing them from the UI). This means creating an extremely intuitive and familiar user experience that can easily pass the “grandma test.” To achieve this, user experience must be prioritized over technical showmanship.
Stripe takes a similar approach: focusing on real-world problems (like B2B2C payments) and quietly addressing user pain points in a practical-first, technology-second manner. They win the market with a simple fee structure and by hiding complexity.
What skeptics say
Some voices argue that seamlessly integrating Web3 tools (decentralized) into Web2 platforms (centralized) goes against the core principles of blockchain, especially within the Ethereum community, where this view is particularly strong, as reducing intermediaries is central to the mission of network decentralization. They need to understand that true decentralization is not about creating isolated spaces or closed economic systems, but about reimagining the future of technology, finance, and society to empower individuals.
New Web3 technologies will not eliminate all intermediaries, although this is not what everyone wants to see, but they will indeed prompt changes in roles and business models.
What “invisible” means
Making blockchain more accessible for business usability, hiding its complexity, does not diminish its revolutionary potential—in fact, it expands that potential. User needs always come first—as long as problems are effectively and “invisibly” solved, there is no need to change user habits. Intermediaries do not necessarily need to be eliminated, as long as their roles can be reshaped to support the blockchain’s “trustless, immutable” characteristics.
End users desire: the lowest learning costs, smooth experiences, and high efficiency—all of which rely on making blockchain interactions “invisible.” If this is achieved, the low adoption rate of Web3 will be thoroughly resolved, and Web2 will be surpassed within a few years.
What’s next
Web3 is not just a technological movement; it is also a cultural shift. When it becomes “invisible” and seamlessly integrates with the most popular Web2 experiences and platforms, it will ultimately achieve the goals envisioned by its original dreamers: truly widespread and profound transformative adoption. This revolution may not make headlines, but it will quietly occur, in a manner that is both “slow and fast.”
Author: Mark Smargon, Co-founder and CEO of Fuse.io
Related: Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Must Return to P2P Origins to Achieve Mass Adoption
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and positions of Cointelegraph.
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