Simplifying Onboarding: The Key to Blurt's Growth
Hi, fellow Blurtians!
Creating an account on a blockchain is not an easy task, especially for those new to Web3. On Blurt, the challenges are even greater due to the complexity of managing multiple keys and the limited accessibility of existing account creation tools.
Blockchain technology holds incredible potential, but it often comes with a steep learning curve. For newcomers, even the simple act of creating an account can feel daunting. This is especially true for blockchains like Blurt, where users must not only understand the concept of private and public keys but also navigate interfaces that are sometimes unintuitive, buggy, or incomplete.
Why does this matter?
Onboarding isn't just a technical hurdle—it’s the first impression users have of a blockchain. If the process is too complex or confusing, many potential users will simply give up before they’ve even started. Worse, those who do manage to create an account might feel overwhelmed by the experience, reducing their likelihood of becoming active, engaged members of the community.
So, how can we fix this?
The solution lies in creating an onboarding process that is simple, intuitive, and welcoming—a process that not only lowers the barrier to entry but also sets new users up for success. This is precisely why I’ve been working on Join Blurt Blockchain, a dApp designed to streamline account creation on Blurt while addressing its most pressing challenges.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the current state of onboarding on Blurt, analyze the tools currently available, and present Join Blurt Blockchain as a proof of concept for a better, more inclusive onboarding experience.
Analysis of Onboarding and Retention
The success of any blockchain is heavily tied to its ability to onboard and retain users. For Blurt, this process remains a critical challenge.
1. Total Accounts Created
Since the fork from the Steem blockchain in 2019, a total of 1,397,559 accounts have been created on Blurt. However, the vast majority of these accounts (98.6%) were migrated automatically from Steem. Only 19,433 accounts have been actively created on Blurt since 2020, highlighting the need for better onboarding strategies to attract new users.
2. Monthly Account Creation in 2024
In 2024, the rate of new account creation remains low. Below is the monthly breakdown:
- Top months: February (161 accounts) and January (106 accounts).
- Lowest months: May (15 accounts) and August (17 accounts).
This data indicates that user acquisition on Blurt is not consistent and shows a declining trend during the year.
3. Annual Account Creation Since the Fork
Looking at the yearly data, we can see a clear decline in account creation after 2022:
- 2022: 2,492 accounts created.
- 2023: 1,187 accounts created.
- 2024 (so far): 689 accounts created.
This downward trend suggests that the current tools and processes for onboarding new users are insufficient to drive growth and the urgent need to revamp the onboarding process to attract more users.
4. Retention of Accounts Created in 2024
For the 689 accounts created in 2024, here is the breakdown based on their activity:
- 45.9% (316 accounts): No posts published.
- 6.0% (41 accounts): Only one post published.
- 10.3% (71 accounts): Published fewer than 5 posts.
- 37.9% (261 accounts): Published more than 5 posts.
This data highlights two critical points:
Low initial engagement: Nearly half of the accounts (45.9%) remain completely inactive, suggesting that many users drop off shortly after account creation.
Active contributors: A promising 37.9% of accounts have published more than five posts, showing potential for long-term engagement if onboarding is done right.
Key Takeaways
These findings emphasize the urgent need to improve the onboarding process on Blurt. A streamlined and intuitive account creation experience, paired with better user support and engagement strategies, is essential to reduce inactivity rates and foster long-term retention.
With tools like Join Blurt Blockchain, we aim to address these challenges and create a smoother pathway for new users to join and thrive within the Blurt ecosystem.
Existing Account Creation Methods
At the moment, anyone wishing to create a Blurt blockchain account has the following options:
1. Official Blurt Discord
Users can request an account in the account-creation channel on the official Blurt Discord server.
Advantages:
- Free account creation.
- Comes with a small amount of BLURT tokens to get started.
Disadvantages:
- Requires a Discord account.
- Users must be familiar with Discord.
- Dependent on the availability of an admin to process requests.
2. JoinBlocks: Pay with Crypto
URL: https://joinblocks.org/blurt/crypto
Maintainer: @symbionts
This service, while initially promising, is buggy and appears abandoned. Users face numerous issues such as:
- Fixed account creation fee of 10 BLURT.
- ReCaptcha errors (
ERROR for site owner: Invalid site key). - Backend exceptions during the process, as shown below:
ArgumentCountError
Too few arguments to function App\Http\Requests\CryptoOrderRequest::Illuminate\Foundation\Providers\{closure}(), 0 passed in /var/joinblocks/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Macroable/Traits/Macroable.php on line 124 and exactly 1 expected
3. JoinBlocks: Use Your Blurt Account
URL: https://joinblocks.org/blurt/blurt
This method suffers from similar issues. Attempts using WhaleVault or invalid active keys fail without any feedback, leaving users uncertain whether the service is operational.
4. JoinBlocks: Pay with Credit Card or PayPal
URL: https://joinblocks.org/blurt/order
Despite ReCaptcha errors, this method appears to function correctly. However, I have not fully tested the process, so its reliability remains unclear.
5. Blurt Wallet: Blurt Account Creation
URL: https://selfhelp.blurtwallet.com/
Maintainer: @blurtofficial
This is perhaps the most professional-looking option currently available. However, there are significant limitations:
- The displayed account creation fee (10 BLURT) on signup.blurtwallet.com is inaccurate.
- Users must already have a Blurt account to create a new one, which defeats the purpose for new users.
Advantages:
- Officially supported by Blurt.
Disadvantages:
- Limited accessibility for first-time users.
6. BlurtCreator: Free Account Creation
URL: https://blurtcreator.intinte.org/
Maintainer: @fervi
This third-party tool was once a promising option for free account creation. However, it no longer works due to hardcoded fees (10 BLURT) and other limitations.
Advantages:
- Free accounts available when operational.
Disadvantages:
- Unavailable if funds are depleted.
- No username availability check before validation.
- Requires users to share their email address.
Analysis of Current Options
The current account creation methods on the Blurt blockchain are far from optimal or user-friendly. Many of the available solutions are either:
- Non-functional.
- Too complex for newcomers.
- Dependent on third-party services that are unreliable or abandoned.
This state of affairs negatively impacts Blurt's growth, as account creation is a crucial entry point for attracting and retaining new users. Without a seamless and modern onboarding experience, potential Blurtians may never fully engage with the platform.
Join Blurt Blockchain was designed to address these shortcomings, providing a streamlined, user-friendly solution to create accounts and foster long-term engagement.
Proof of Concept
Join Blurt Blockchain, accessible at https://join.blurt-blockchain.com, is currently a Proof of Concept in the development and testing phase. As such, I cannot guarantee that the application is fully functional or free from bugs at this stage. It is primarily intended to serve as a demonstration of its features and potential. Think of it as an early access version!
Designed as a modern account creation application built with Angular, Join Blurt Blockchain offers a guided and intuitive experience for users who want to join the Blurt blockchain.
With support for 12 languages, it ensures that users from diverse backgrounds can easily understand and navigate the account creation process.
The application introduces several key features, including:
Referral System
The referral system allows referrers to earn a percentage of the rewards from every post published by their affiliates. Referrers are identified via the r= parameter in the URL (e.g., https://join.blurt-blockchain.com?r=nalexadre).
To enable better analysis and categorization of referrals, an additional cid= parameter can be used (e.g., https://join.blurt-blockchain.com?r=nalexadre&cid=twitter).
For more details on the referral system on Blurt, you can read my post:
[Blurt Nexus] Creating an affiliate account.
Coupon System
The coupon system allows referrers to offer free Blurt account creations to their communities, such as on social media platforms. This is achieved through a system of prepaid accounts and coupons, enabling community members to easily create their accounts without any upfront payment. The affiliate platform supporting this feature is currently under development.
The application goes a step further by allowing account creation through direct payments in HIVE or STEEM (direct transfer, Hive Keychain extension, Hive Keychain Wallet App, Whalevault), facilitating the transition from these two sister blockchains to BLURT. Additionally, it supports payments via Bitcoin (using the Lightning Network)—a feature that will certainly delight @offgridlife—and BNB (currently under study), opening up Blurt to a much broader audience.
Thanks to its modular architecture, as shown in the diagram below, Join Blurt Blockchain offers excellent scalability and flexibility for future enhancements.
But enough talking—let's dive into how Join Blurt Blockchain works by exploring some real-world account creation scenarios.
Case 1: Hive
A Hive blogger reaches out to me and asks how to create a Blurt account. I provide them with the following link:
https://join.blurt-blockchain.com?r=nalexadre&cid=december2024
Upon arriving on the app, the first step is to choose a username. As the user begins typing, a real-time availability check is performed. If the username is available, a button appears to confirm their choice.
Once they validate their choice, they move to Step 2, where they download their account keys.
After downloading their keys, the app displays the payment options and a field to enter a coupon if they have one.
Since they have some HIVE in their wallet, they decide to pay using HIVE. Clicking on "Pay By HIVE" opens a new window showing the current Hive blockchain block number in real-time. The user is prompted to make a transfer of 6.163 HIVE to @join.blurt with the memo 7365928a0769112594e151c3. The window also informs them that approximately 500 BLURT (depending on account creation fees at the time) will be transferred to their account to help them start blogging with enough funds. For reference, the conversion from BLURT to HIVE is calculated in real-time using data from Probit.
The user can then either make a manual transfer from their Hive wallet or use tools like the Hive Keychain extension or the Hive Wallet Keychain app by entering their Hive username.
If they choose to use the Hive Wallet Keychain app (HiveAuth-compatible), they simply need to enter their Hive username and click the "HiveAuth-compatible app" button. This generates a QR code that they scan using the Hive Wallet Keychain app on their smartphone. Once scanned, they can confirm the payment within the app.
Once the transaction is detected on the Hive blockchain (thanks to the memo), the window closes, and the following actions are completed automatically:
- Account creation on Blurt.
- Transfer of BLURT to the new account.
- Association of the account with the referrer.
This seamless process demonstrates the power of Join Blurt Blockchain in bridging the gap between Hive and Blurt, making onboarding effortless and intuitive for users from sister blockchains.
Case 2: Bitcoin
A user clicks on my affiliate link for creating a Blurt account:
https://join.blurt-blockchain.com?r=nalexadre&cid=medium202412, which I included in my Medium article highlighting the advantages of the Blurt blockchain.
The process is similar to Case 1: Hive, with the user first selecting a username, downloading their account keys, and then reaching the payment options page.
However, instead of choosing HIVE, the user clicks on the "BTC - Lightning Network" button. This opens a new window displaying a QR code for the invoice, automatically generated on the Lightning Network. The user simply scans the QR code using their Bitcoin Lightning-enabled wallet to complete the payment.
Once the payment is confirmed on the Lightning Network, the account creation process begins automatically. This includes:
- Account creation on the Blurt blockchain.
- Transfer of BLURT to the new account.
- Association of the account with the referrer.
Current Status: Please note that this module is still under development and debugging, and I have temporarily deactivated it in the app. However, this functionality represents an exciting step forward, as it allows users to create Blurt accounts using Bitcoin Lightning, broadening accessibility for a global audience.
Case 3: Free Coupon
I post a tweet offering the first five users the opportunity to create a free account on Blurt by using the coupon code "TWEET2024". The tweet includes the following affiliate link:
https://join.blurt-blockchain.com?r=nalexadre&cid=medium202412&coupon=TWEET2024.
Note the additional coupon parameter in the URL (coupon=TWEET2024).
When a user clicks on the link, the process follows the same flow as in the previous cases:
- The user selects their username.
- The app verifies the availability of the username in real-time.
- The user downloads their account keys.
However, since the coupon parameter is included in the link, the Free Coupon field is automatically pre-filled with the code. As a result, the app only displays the "Create Account" button, skipping all payment options.
The user simply clicks the button, and their account is created for free. The process is seamless and requires no additional effort from the user.
Why Coupons Matter
This coupon system is particularly useful for engaging with communities on social media platforms like Twitter. By offering free account creation to a limited number of users, referrers can attract more people to the Blurt blockchain, encouraging adoption and fostering loyalty among new users.
Work in Progress
To transition Join Blurt Blockchain from a Proof of Concept to a production-ready application, the following tasks are currently being worked on:
Finalizing the test suite for account creation on the modules that are already operational, including payments via BLURT, HIVE, and STEEM.
Completing and testing the Bitcoin payment module using the Lightning Network and a self hosted BTCPay Server for the management of invoice.
Evaluating the interest of adding BNB as a payment method to expand accessibility further.
Adding a redirect link to Blurt frontends at the end of the account creation process (potentially with an auto-login feature for added convenience).
Finalizing the coupon and referral management system, with the latter likely to be included as a post-production add-on.
This roadmap highlights the remaining steps to deliver a fully functional application while ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience. The focus remains on reliability, scalability, and expanding accessibility to attract new users to the Blurt blockchain.
Conclusion
The Blurt blockchain has immense potential to grow and attract new users, but the onboarding process remains a critical challenge. With Join Blurt Blockchain, I aim to simplify account creation, integrate modern payment options, and provide tools like referral and coupon systems to make Blurt more accessible to everyone.
This is still just the beginning! As a Proof of Concept, there is plenty of room for improvement, and your input is invaluable to help refine this application and make it a game-changer for the Blurt ecosystem.
What do you think of the features and examples shared in this post?
- Is there a particular feature you would like to see added?
- Do you have suggestions on how we can make the onboarding process even better?
Your feedback is crucial to shaping the future of Join Blurt Blockchain. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 🚀
@nalexadre
Witness (Blocks producer)
& developper on Blurt
Backing my Witness:
It only takes a click since you're entitled to 30 witness votes with your Blurt account. Even if I'm already in the top 20 and it won't generate more BLURT for me, it will secure my position, and it's always appreciated.
via BeBlurt: https://beblurt.com/@nalexadre/witness
via Wallet: https://blurtwallet.com/~witnesses?highlight=nalexadre
Making a Difference with a Donation:
This blockchain is our community, and your donation, via a transfer to my @nalexadre account with "donation" in the memo, helps fuel ongoing initiatives.
Your active participation fuels these initiatives and ensures the continued growth of our Blurt community. Let's make a difference together!
Re🤬eD
Users should invite other users
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1873417011294093499
Like bring a friend to work day 🥓
Integrate with the FOSS bitcart.ai software so that the user can pay with 100+ cryptos. A nice little modal with the coin logos alongside the coin name and ticker would be less clicks too, ideal UX. Lookin good! Dark mode for me please :)
Can I create prepaid coupons without affiliate platform?
Thank you for your question and interest @mariuszkarowski!
Let me clarify the relationship between the referral system and the prepaid coupon system, as well as how you can use coupons independently of the affiliate platform.
The referral/affiliate system is something I developed directly within Nexus, making it an intrinsic part of Blurt's Layer 2. This system leverages Blurt's blockchain to track and reward referrers.
In contrast, the prepaid coupon system I’m currently developing operates separately. It involves specific transfer operations to and via a designated Blurt account, along with the use of coupon codes. Because of these interactions, it does not directly integrate into the Layer 2 infrastructure of the blockchain.
Independence of Systems
The referral and coupon systems are entirely independent. You can choose to:
Use only the coupon system, bypassing the referral feature. For example, you can simply use a URL with the
couponparameter, like this:https://join.blurt-blockchain.com?coupon=TWEET2024.This approach works even if you’re not interested in the referral functionality.
Use both systems together for better analytics. While the referral system is optional and involves no obligations, it allows for detailed tracking and insights when combined with coupons.
Vision for the Coupon System
The final goal of the coupon system is to offer something similar to Discord's invite system:
Coupons can be single-use, limited to a specific number of uses, or even unlimited, as long as the associated prepaid Blurt account has sufficient funds.
Coupons can also be time-restricted or left without expiration dates.
This system is designed to complement the onboarding app, Join Blurt Blockchain, and will be completely NO KYC, as all prepayments are made in BLURT.
Development Challenges
It’s important to note that developing these systems represents a significant investment of both time and resources. As of now, I have not received any financial support (from the foundation or other sources), and my DAO proposal only receives 75,000 BLURT per month, which barely covers infrastructure costs such as maintaining the Nexus RPC server and other essential components and contribution on this blockchain. These costs are also increasing as the project expands. For example, setting up a BTCPay server to handle Bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network adds additional expenses. This means that while I’m fully committed to pushing this project forward (as well as the other projects I have in the pipeline), progress might take some time.
In short, you can absolutely use prepaid coupons without the affiliate platform. The system is built to be flexible, and you can adapt it to your specific needs, whether you want to focus on simplifying account creation, running community campaigns, or both. I hope this answers your question thoroughly!
Let me know if you have any further questions!
What I'm asking is where to send Blurt and where to get codes, but it isn't ready yet, right?
Why not join the forces with @kencode? 100+ cryptos is better than 5
Once the app to create coupons meets the minimum requirements, I will send you an early access link via Matrix to create coupons
I chose BTCPayServer for the following reasons:
Active and strong community: With 6.5k stars, 1.7k forks, and 166 contributors on GitHub, BTCPayServer benefits from a supportive community that ensures its continuous development and improvement.
Written in C#: C# is a robust and high-performance language, offering a strong foundation for a secure and efficient payment processing platform.
Frequent updates: Regular updates ensure the security, compatibility, and addition of new features to meet evolving needs.
Comprehensive documentation and community support: BTCPayServer provides rich documentation and extensive community resources.
Support for multiple cryptocurrencies: It supports Bitcoin (on-chain and Lightning Network), Ethereum, and many others via plugins or integrations, making it highly versatile.
Independence through full node integration: The ability to configure full nodes ensures complete independence from third-party services, enhancing privacy and sovereignty.
Comprehensive tools for merchants: The platform includes a suite of tools for merchants, such as invoicing, payment management, and advanced integrations with platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, and point-of-sale (POS) systems.
Diverse use cases: It can be used for donations, subscriptions, e-commerce, and more, offering flexibility for various business models.
Lightning Network support: BTCPayServer has excellent support for the Lightning Network and is compatible with multiple implementations like LND and c-lightning, enabling fast and cost-effective transactions.
The major advantage of BTCPayServer is its potential to develop plugins. It leaves the door open for integrating the Blurt blockchain and enabling payments in BLURT by developing our own plugin. Combined with its support for popular e-commerce platforms (WooCommerce, Shopify, Prestashop, Odoo, Magento, Wix), this opens up a wealth of possibilities.
I hope these coupons will allow us to invite crypto influencers from X to Blurt
Absolutely! Since the person with a coupon only needs to choose a Blurt username (or simply enter the coupon if it's not already embedded in the link), this greatly simplifies the onboarding process.
Additionally, by combining this with the Referrer system and the campaign_id, it becomes possible to organize onboarding contests. For instance, you can easily track the top performers during a specific period by making a simple call like this:
This API call allows organizers to retrieve a leaderboard for a given campaign over a specified time frame. Real-time tracking enables monitoring the performance of campaigns as they happen, providing valuable insights for quick adjustments or optimizations.
For influencers, this system provides an excellent opportunity to onboard their communities efficiently. They can use custom referral links to offer free accounts, while also benefiting from detailed analytics via the Referrer system to understand their impact and engagement.
Imagine collaborating with an influencer who shares their custom campaign link or coupon with their audience. You could then:
Track how many accounts were created through their efforts.
Reward the influencer or their audience for milestones (e.g., "Onboard 50 users and get a bonus").
Run time-limited campaigns to drive urgency, like "Sign up this weekend and get free BLURT."
In short, the combination of the coupon and Referrer systems unlocks countless possibilities to grow the Blurt ecosystem.
yes but btc, is expensive solution with high transfer costs. maybe add xrp to that? btcpay probably supports them from what I see.
We are not going to use a solution of paying for accounts that will discourage with high commission costs exceeding the price of the account itself.
Currently, the cost of one account is $0.300, while the ransom fee for btc is $1.330, which is one of the lowest values in recent times. If I had to decide to pay for an account anywhere using btc, I would not decide. I would prefer that 1.3 bought me an additional 400 blurts to start ;)
I would question the sense of putting btc in the first place at all. Blurt is not "prestigious" and recognizable enough to convince to open an account with such fees. People usually do not send btc through exchanges or keep it outside their investment portfolio for the same reasons.
I would double the efforts to develop payments in cheap currencies and the number of different cheap options is an advantage.
Thank you for your comment and the time you took to share your thoughts! I believe there might have been a slight misunderstanding about the concept behind Join Blurt Blockchain and its payment options. Let me clarify the approach:
Crypto Payments Are for Crypto Users
The payment options in cryptocurrencies (e.g., HIVE, STEEM, BTC) are not intended to convert non-crypto users into holding or using crypto. Instead, they are designed for people who already have crypto wallets and are familiar with these ecosystems. Join Blurt Blockchain specifically targets different categories of users, each with tailored onboarding options:
Hive and Steem Bloggers:
These users are already familiar with the Blurt ecosystem and can easily transition to Blurt by paying with HIVE or STEEM, making it a seamless and familiar experience.
Crypto Enthusiasts:
This group already has wallets with cryptocurrencies like BTC. To clarify, the BTC payment option leverages the Lightning Network, which drastically reduces fees compared to traditional Bitcoin transactions.
Non-Crypto Users:
For those without any prior crypto experience, the primary entry point is through free coupons (via the affiliate/referrer platform). Additionally, if I decide to implement a credit card payment option, this would provide a straightforward Web2.0 alternative, albeit with KYC requirements due to legal obligations.
Why BTC Is Included
BTC is included not because it’s the most economical option, but because it’s globally recognized. The Lightning Network mitigates many of the cost concerns, but BTC is just one of several payment methods.
Additionally, for users holding other cryptocurrencies, they likely already trade their assets and could easily purchase HIVE or STEEM to benefit from lower transaction fees. In this context, adding numerous other payment options may not be the most efficient use of development time. Instead, focusing on accelerating the development of the coupon system would be a better investment, as it provides a free and flexible solution that caters to a broader audience.
Your feedback about exploring other low-fee options, such as XRP, is highly appreciated. Expanding the payment system to support a broader range of cost-effective cryptocurrencies is indeed a priority for me, but I believe prioritizing the coupon system will have a greater overall impact for onboarding.
Thank you again for sharing your perspective—it helps refine the vision of Join Blurt Blockchain. If you have any other suggestions or ideas, feel free to share them!
no, don't get me wrong, I really like what you're doing. You just wrote about the high costs of maintaining and creating all of this, and I just thought that it might be worth giving up work on the BTC payment for now, since few people can use it, in favor of cheaper solutions ;)
And another question about the referal program? The invited person can cancel supporting the person they invited at any time, or is it set up permanently?
Btw, where is the Polish language option? 😜
Account creation Coupons!
Perpaid Affiliate Programs?
User Maintained Echo Chambers.
And More 🥓
And this is exactly why I supported you big time from day one. How can we get more witnesses just like you! You rock, and I'm proud to have you as a fellow top 20 witness. Amazing work, amazing effort....and I do believe it will pay off for us all. Thank you and happy holidays to you and your family.
-World Travel Pro
Here here
🤙
Thank you for making ways to make onboarding easier! I did have a hard time onboarding back then.
Hi there @nalexadre hope you and family are all doing well just a question I have noticed that I am not getting any more upvotes from you and I am not here begging for your upvotes it's your choice who you choose to upvote, and I respect that, but I am curious in why I am not receiving anymore upvotes from you please correct me if I am doing something wrong ??
Hello @hangin, I hadn’t realized that I’d missed 4 posts—sorry about that. The past few days have been pretty hectic, and I’ve changed the way I browse posts a bit. I now check communities (like Bon Voyage and Blurt LifeStyle first), then new posts, and finally my feeds if I have enough Blurt Power left (which isn’t often the case these days with all the newcomers and returning users). I just didn’t notice the oversight. I'll do my best to be more attentive moving forward. 😅 😉
Hi @nalexadre I do realize it's a hectic job for you to try and keep up you are missing my posts on Curators Community again so I will post on Blurt LifeStyle from now on and hope this makes it easier for you.
Much appreciate your support. Thank you @nalexadre :)
WOW..That is understandable you have quite a bit on your plate. Thank you for responding back to me very much appreciated would you like me to change the first tag to Bon Voyage or Blurt LifeStyle to make it easier for you.
Sorely needed and just what is required
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Awesome!
I'll be implementing this into our Peerhub streaming software, most likely in a modal so that the user never has to leave the page they're on, for ideal UX.
Votes for our "agorise-witness" Witness node MUCH appreciated too! :)