Circles · 2017–21 · Head of Product
A decentralized basic income - 100,000 users in days.
Circles is a trust-based cryptocurrency for a community-first, decentralized basic income. I brought it from 0→1: tokenomics, full UX cycle, multi-city pilots, and the teams that delivered it.
Product leadership in uncharted territory
The job was making a blockchain currency legible to people who had never touched crypto. As it grew I added a decentralized identity system, a social feed, and a marketplace tied to local sellers. I defined the tokenomics behind retention and trust, planned expansion, and built public-sector partnerships.
A full UX cycle, archetypes to tested prototypes
I organized UX around archetypes and personas, facilitated design sessions to write user stories, mapped IA and flows, and tested early - internal wireframes first, then low-fidelity prototypes with real testers.
Results
- Launched and went viral - 100k+ people onboarded within days
- A living alternative economy accepted across multiple cities
- Presented at conferences worldwide; cited in economic journals for its design
A live alternative economy, designed end-to-end from zero.