Introducing the new StashPay

Today we’re excited to relaunch StashPay with a new look.

A New Design

For the redesign I partnered up with my old colleague and friend Lee Gordon. He was the designer behind the purple branding and design of the Lightning Wallet that we worked on in 2018 at Lightning Labs after launching LND on bitcoin mainnet. It was an exciting time where the possibilities of the Lightning Network seemed limitless.

And we’ve always dreamed of finishing what we started all those years ago. The problem was the tech simply wasn’t ready back then and we’ve learned a lot about Lightning’s limitations since. But what’s exciting is the evolution and energy is continuing with each new layer and protocol that is being built on Bitcoin.

Setting the Design System

When embarking on the creation of our new Bitcoin wallet, our primary objective was to craft a design that was as simple and intuitive in its operation as it was in its appearance. We envisioned a blank slate, enabling users to effortlessly navigate the fundamental processes of sending and receiving transactions without the added cognitive load often imposed by overly complex graphics and animations. Our inspiration gravitated towards the "less is more" philosophy, akin to the elegant simplicity seen in designs such as the "Nothing Phone," applied to the realm of wallets.

The "Less is More" Approach

Our design philosophy was deeply rooted in the concept of removing complexity to enhance the user experience. We believe that true sophistication lies in simplicity, and by stripping away extraneous elements, we could provide a clearer, more direct path for the user. This approach aligns with established design principles that advocate for minimalism, ensuring that every element serves a distinct purpose and contributes to the overall usability of the product. The goal was to eliminate distractions and focus on the core functionalities, allowing users to achieve their objectives with minimal effort.

The Result: Uncomplicated and User-Centric

What emerged from this design ethos is a wallet that stands as a simpler, more accessible bitcoin wallet than (we believe) currently exists. It is intentionally devoid of excessive color, overt branding, and any unnecessary complexities. Our guiding principle was to empower the user, allowing them to engage with the core functionalities seamlessly. We understood that complexity could be incrementally introduced later, based on user needs and evolving functionalities, rather than being an initial barrier.

This led us to a fantastically uncomplicated black-on-white palette. It is a blank canvas, inviting the user to imprint their own experience onto the bare minimum: send, receive, configure, done. This minimalist aesthetic not only contributes to a clean and uncluttered interface but also reduces visual fatigue and makes essential information more prominent. By focusing on the essentials, we aimed to create a robust and reliable tool that prioritizes user action and clarity above all else.

Let’s Talk Features

Fiat conversion for 113 currencies

The wallet now supports converting to sats from 113 different fiat currencies. This should make it usable for Bitcoin payments in some of the most remote corners of the globe even for niche currencies.

Unified QR Code for Lightning and On-Chain

By default the app will now also display a BIP21 unified QR code for both Bitcoin On-Chain and Lightning invoices. For receive amounts smaller than 25,000 sats the app will display a Lightning invoice, since Boltz requires at least 25k sats for On-Chain swaps. But this way new users aren’t burdened with protocol details the first time they want to receive some sats.

More advanced users can opt-in to manually toggling between On-Chain and Lightning in the app’s settings.

Download the Beta

Go to the StashPay website to download the redesigned app. And please remember this is beta software. So only use it with sats you are willing to lose.

Onwards, stay humble, spend sats, and tell us what you think!