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What DeFi Platforms Can Learn from Jupiter… and What They Shouldn’t
Aug 31, 2025
DeFi has come a long way from its experimental beginnings. Billions of dollars in value move through decentralized applications every single day. But with that growing user base comes a new challenge: the user experience that defines the product. For most people, crypto products are still intimidating, fragile, and full of hidden pitfalls. Trusting a platform with your coins requires the same level of confidence people expect from a banking application. That’s why platforms that manage to combine trust with clarity are worth studying closely.
On Solana, Jupiter has established itself as the leading DEX aggregator, connecting millions of wallets every month and routing billions in trading volume. It has become the number one entry point for token swaps on Solana, setting a benchmark for what “smooth” DeFi can feel like. The speed, liquidity, and simplicity of Jupiter are a big reason why Solana has attracted so many new users. The interface responds smoothly to user actions, and its clean user interface makes it easy to identify the right interaction points.
But even a category leader like Jupiter is not flawless. Its interface reveals both what DeFi platforms should absolutely copy and a few patterns that teams would be wise to avoid. By looking at where Jupiter shines and where friction still remains, we can draw lessons for the next generation of DeFi products. Because in the end: product experience + trust = revenue.
What Others Can Learn from Jupiter
One of the reasons Jupiter might have grown into Solana’s go-to platform is its ability to combine technical depth with an approachable interface. While many DeFi platforms with cluttered dashboards can seem overwhelming, especially to new users, Jupiter has chosen clarity and focus. The result is a product that feels both powerful and approachable. Unfortunately, this can be considered a rare combination in Web3.
Trading is the clear single-purpose core flow
The heart of Jupiter is swapping tokens. That flow is always front and center. Users don’t have to navigate through distracting features to complete the task they came for. This works especially well for Jupiter’s core audience who make up most of their revenue: crypto-native users who arrive on the site already knowing what they want to do. For them, landing directly in the swap module is the right choice.
Performance and speed
Running on Solana means swaps are confirmed within seconds and cost a fraction of a cent. This means a well performing site for the execution of these transactions is crucial. This where Jupiter's Frontend experience feels quick and optimized. The interface is responsive, loading states are clear, and feedback is instant. Slow, confusing, or delayed feedback causes drop-offs, so this level of performance matters and Jupiter shines bright in this area.
Consistency across features
It is easy lose track of consistency when expanding into advanced features. The core swap might be simple, but the moment users open a limit order, lending, or staking module, it can feel like a different product altogether. In Jupiter's case, whether it’s swaps, limit orders, or DCA, the interface and the product experience remain consistent: The same patterns, the same interaction logic, the same visual language. This level of consistency signals product discipline and attention to detail, which ultimately builds user trust.
Mobile readiness
With Phantom and Jupiter’s own mobile app, the platform communicates that it has recognized that DeFi is not only for desktop-native users. But even further the ability to connect wallets and trade smoothly on mobile is a crucial step for mainstream adoption, and Jupiter has leaned into this shift earlier than many competitors.
Together, these choices create an experience that feels like a professional, polished financial product. In my opinion: For teams building in DeFi, this is the benchmark to aim for: clarity of purpose, transparency in execution, consistency across features, and speed in feedback.
Where Friction Remains
For all of Jupiter’s strengths, even a category leader is not without friction. There are no catastrophic flaws here. The product works well and feels trustworthy. But these issues highlight important lessons for other DeFi teams: what works for a crypto-native user base may not translate to a broader audience.
Wallet connection
The connect flow heavily promotes Jupiter’s own Quick Account and Mobile Wallet, while popular third-party wallets like Phantom or Backpack are hidden behind an accordion. This choice may drive adoption of Jupiter’s own products and to be fair, if you are using the browser app the application will pop up without needing to open the accordion. But in my case, the actual connection process did not work even though notifications called it successful. This creates unnecessary frustration for experienced users and undermines trust. As Nielsen and Molich’s usability heuristic states: “Help users recognize, diagnose and recover from errors.” In the case of Jupiter, wallet connection still leaves room for improvement. It is the single most important step. The gateway that enables all value to flow through Jupiter and it must not leave users guessing.
Swap-first entry point leaves newcomers stranded
Landing directly in the swap interface is perfect for crypto-natives. They arrive knowing exactly what they want to do: swap SOL to USDC, or trade into a different coin. But for first-time visitors who haven’t connected a wallet yet, the interface is effectively a dead end. Nothing meaningful can be done without an account, and no guidance is offered. Smaller or emerging DeFi platforms that copy this approach risk alienating new users before they even start.
Heavy jargon without explanation
Terms like slippage, price impact, and minimum received are standard for DeFi insiders, but intimidating for anyone less experienced. Jupiter offers no contextual tooltips or first-time explanations. While this is manageable for their core audience, it sets a ceiling on how approachable the product feels.
Weak error handling
When a transaction fails, whether because of insufficient SOL for gas or a routing issue, the interface often only shows a generic error. There is little guidance on how to fix the problem, leaving users to guess or search elsewhere. At scale, this contributes to unnecessary drop-offs and repeated failed attempts.
These friction points won’t mess with Jupiter’s dominance on Solana. But they matter as signals for the broader DeFi space. If even the most polished products still leave users confused, stranded, or nudged, it shows how much room there is for improvement across the ecosystem.
Why Do These Things Matter
Jupiter is not a small experiment. According to DappRadar, it regularly attracts over three million active wallets each month and processes billions in trading volume. That scale means that even small frictions translate into very real business impact.
Consider the wallet connection flow. If even 5 to 10 percent of new users struggle to connect successfully, that could mean hundreds of thousands of wallets never complete a first trade. With average swap fees measured across millions of transactions, the lost revenue compounds quickly.
The same logic applies to failed transactions or unclear jargon. A generic error message may seem like a minor annoyance, but if thousands of users abandon swaps each day because they cannot diagnose what went wrong, the platform loses both short-term fees and long-term trust. Likewise, leaving first-time visitors stranded in the swap interface may be acceptable for Jupiter, since its audience is mostly crypto-natives who already know what to do. For smaller or emerging platforms, however, this design choice would be fatal. New users who do not understand why they cannot interact with the product simply leave.
At this scale, the product experience is not a cosmetic detail. It is directly tied to trading volume, revenue, and growth. A smoother wallet connection, clearer explanations, and stronger recovery flows could capture millions in additional fees and convert frustrated newcomers into long-term users. For DeFi teams, the lesson is clear: UX friction equals revenue leakage.
Actionable Recommendations
The value of a case study is not only in pointing out what works and what does not, but in translating those observations into actionable improvements. Here are a few steps that any DeFi team, not just Jupiter, can implement to reduce friction and strengthen trust.
Transparent wallet options
Do not hide the most popular wallets behind secondary menus. Make them a central part of your product strategy to lower the entrance barrier for new transactions. Show Phantom, Backpack, or Solflare immediately alongside any in-house option. If promoting a proprietary wallet is a strategic goal, position it equally, not at the expense of clarity. Transparency builds confidence, and confidence drives transactions.
First-time onboarding layer
For crypto-natives, landing directly in the swap interface is efficient. For new users, it is a dead end. The solution is not to clutter the core flow but to add a first-time onboarding layer. For example, a simple landing page that explains what a wallet is, why SOL is required for gas, and how to connect removes a major adoption barrier without complicating the core product. Alternatively, a quick product tour could highlight the key features and immediately guide users toward their first action.
Explain jargon in context
Slippage, price impact, and minimum received are important, but they do not have to be intimidating. Contextual tooltips or a quick explainer mode can educate without overwhelming. This not only helps first-time users but also reduces support requests and failed transactions. Users are careful with their actions when money is at stake. Not understanding what a setting means often leads to abandonment of the flow.
Smarter error recovery
This might seem like a no-brainer, but generic “transaction failed” messages should be replaced with actionable guidance. For example: “You need at least 0.01 SOL for gas” or “Try a lower slippage tolerance.” Helping users recognize and fix errors keeps them in the flow instead of driving them away.
Consistency as the product scales
When expanding into advanced features like limit orders, lending, or staking, maintain the same interaction patterns and design system. Consistency reduces cognitive load, lowers the learning curve, and builds long-term trust. Jupiter demonstrates how powerful this can be.
These recommendations are not cosmetic. Each one ties directly to adoption and revenue. A clearer wallet flow means more completed trades. A gas explainer prevents abandoned transactions. Consistent design across features keeps users engaged instead of lost. The message is simple: strong UX is the engine of growth for any DeFi application.
Jupiter has set a high bar for DeFi products on Solana. It proves that decentralized finance can feel fast, smooth, and trustworthy, even at massive scale. Its clarity of purpose, routing transparency, performance, and consistency are lessons every DeFi team can learn from.
The takeaway is simple. Strong UX is not an accessory in DeFi. It is adoption, retention, and ultimately revenue. Teams that copy Jupiter’s strengths while avoiding its pitfalls will not only build smoother products, they will also build stronger businesses.