thruster
#1 Crypto decentralized exchange (DEX) under Blast Network
Thruster is the flagship decentralized exchange (DEX) of the Blast blockchain ecosystem. Launched during the Blast Hackathon, it scaled to $600M+ TVL and $7B+ trading volume with 100k+ users, becoming the chain’s primary liquidity hub. Thruster is a DEX for the best builders, yield seekers, and traders on Blast, backed by DeFi founders & top Blast investors.
Scope
0 → 1 Design Development & Execution
Wireframe & User-testing
UX Strategy
UI Design
Design System
Design Operations
Team
2 Designers
1 Product
4 Engineers
Duration
4 month (0->first launch)
1 year (operation)
Year
2024-2025
Thruster’s landing page, to see the full site
Project Overview
My role was to lead the branding, UX, and UI design. The challenge was balancing two different audiences: mainstream swappers who want simplicity, and crypto traders who need advanced tools like farming and gauge voting. Using progressive disclosure, we kept the entry simple but revealed depth as users explored. The brand identity leaned hype-driven and edgy to match Blast’s culture, while the design system ensured scalability.
Most DEXs either cater to newcomers with simplicity (like Uniswap) or degens with complex tools (like Curve). Thruster needed to merge both worlds—building trust and clarity for new users while delivering advanced tools for power traders—without diluting its hype-driven brand presence.
Fragmented User Journey
Organized navigation separating quick swaps from deeper yield tools.
Lack of Trust Signals
In a high-risk DeFi environment, users needed clearer indicators of protocol credibility.
Inconsistent Design Language
The absence of a unified system across web and app created friction and diluted brand presence.
Thruster’s Stake Page (Community Vote & Gauges).
Research & Insights
We studied leading DEX competitors (Uniswap, Curve) and observed the broader crypto culture on Blast. Insights revealed that mainstream traders value simplicity and transparency, while degen traders demand advanced tools like gauge voting, farming, and LP optimization. This highlighted an opportunity: design a product that could satisfy both segments without alienating either.
Thruster’s Credit Page, where user have access to their rank leaderboard information.
The interaction that humans create with the environment, whether it is to allow their identity to be integrated with the environment, being the one who activates some movement, or transform the experience, will create the sense of belonging of the experience to the visitors.
Personas
Users fell into two main groups. Mainstream swappers wanted simple, low-friction swaps they could trust, while degen traders needed advanced farming dashboards, gauge controls, and LP mechanics that could perform at scale.
Primary Target Personas
Secondary Target Personas
Strategy & Concept
The strategy was to balance accessibility with depth using progressive disclosure: starting with a clean swap flow for new users, while revealing advanced tools as users explored further.
Clearer Hierarchy
Organized navigation separating quick swaps from deeper yield tools.
Consistent Design System
Unified components, typography, and tokens across web and app.
Advanced Yield Tool
Integrated LP analytics, impermanent loss calculators, and APR breakdowns.
Credibility Signals
Transparent stats, clean visuals, and protocol info to increase user trust.
Thruster’s Pools Analytics Page.
Thruster’s Swap Page, the first page user sees after launching the web app.
Thruster’s advanced Swap Page, built for degen.
Design Outcome
We delivered a streamlined design system in Figma with rapid iteration to meet hackathon deadlines while scaling for real users. The branding used sharp, energetic visuals to capture attention, while the UX ensured newcomers weren’t overwhelmed and advanced traders could dive into powerful dashboards.
The image shows Thruster’s Treasure Page, users collect tickets to buy a chance to win a lottery here.
Key Takeaways
Thruster proved how brand + UX strategy can capture multiple audiences at once, fueling fast adoption and market leadership. By aligning with crypto culture while balancing simplicity and depth, the project achieved explosive growth—$600M+ TVL and $7B+ volume—cementing itself as Blast’s go-to DEX.
The image shows Thruster’s Brand Concept & UI Guideline
