Crypto Wallet Setup & Recovery UX Study

Thank you for participating in this study about crypto wallet setup experiences. Your responses are voluntary and confidential—you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers; we are simply interested in your honest opinions and experiences. All responses will be anonymized and reported in aggregate to improve wallet design. This survey takes approximately 6–8 minutes to complete.

For this survey, imagine you are setting up a new non-custodial (self-custody) crypto wallet today. If you've done this in the last 12 months, please answer based on your most recent setup experience. Otherwise, answer based on what you would expect from a clear setup flow.

Have you ever set up a crypto wallet (e.g., MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger)?

• Yes, I have set up a wallet
• No, this would be my first time
• Not sure / Can't remember

How familiar are you with cryptocurrencies and Web3 concepts?

To what extent do you agree or disagree: "If I lose my seed phrase and have no other backup, no one—including the wallet company—can recover my funds."

To what extent do you agree or disagree: "My private keys are stored by the wallet app company and they can reset them for me if needed."

To what extent do you agree or disagree: "I understand the difference between a custodial wallet (e.g., Coinbase account) and a non-custodial wallet (e.g., MetaMask)."

Which recovery approaches have you heard of for non-custodial wallets? Select all that apply.

• Seed phrase (12/24 words) written or stored securely
• Encrypted cloud backup (protected by a password or passkey)
• Hardware device backup (e.g., hardware wallet)
• Social recovery with trusted contacts
• Email/SMS one-time codes
• Device-based recovery (MPC, no seed phrase)
• Custodial recovery by verifying identity with a company
• None of the above

If you had to choose one primary recovery method for a new non-custodial wallet, which would you prefer?

• Seed phrase backup (12/24 words)
• Encrypted cloud backup with password/passkey
• Social recovery with trusted contacts
• Device-based recovery (MPC, no seed phrase)
• Custodial recovery by verifying identity
• I'm not sure yet

How confident are you that you could recover access to your wallet if you lost your phone?

Please rank the following factors by how important they are to you when choosing a wallet recovery method, from most important to least important.

1. Security / robustness
2. Ease of use
3. Privacy of my data
4. Cost / fees
5. Speed to recover
6. Works across my devices
7. No single point of failure (resilience)

In your own words, what is a seed phrase and when would you use it?

Which best describes your current understanding of network fees (sometimes called 'gas fees') during wallet setup or first use?

• I know when fees occur and who receives them
• I somewhat understand fees but not all the details
• I thought fees were charged by the wallet company
• I did not notice any fees during setup
• I'm unsure

Which setup flow length would you prefer for a new wallet?

• One quick step now; guide me later as needed
• A guided flow of 3–5 concise steps
• A detailed flow of 6–8 steps with explanations
• Not sure

Which parts of the wallet setup process feel most confusing or risky to you? Select all that apply.

• Choosing a recovery method
• Writing / storing a seed phrase
• Backing up to cloud storage
• Understanding what is actually backed up
• Estimating or approving network fees
• Linking or restoring on a second device
• App permissions or privacy notices
• Nothing felt confusing or risky

If a wallet app used the setup flow you described as preferred, how likely would you be to complete the entire setup process?

How would you rate your overall confidence in managing a non-custodial wallet on your own?

We'd like to explore your wallet setup and recovery experiences in a bit more depth. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions.

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or suggestions for making wallet setup and recovery clearer.

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65 or older

What is your gender?

• Female
• Male
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

In which country or region do you currently reside?

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• European Union
• Australia
• India
• Singapore
• Latin America
• Africa
• Other

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• High school or less
• Some college / Associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Graduate / Professional degree
• Other

Which of the following best describes your current employment status?

• Employed full-time
• Employed part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Unemployed
• Retired
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for your time! Your feedback will help improve wallet setup, recovery, and fee transparency for all users.