02 · Content design
Led the activation strategy that turns idle dollars into automatic rewards
Drove user activation by establishing a shared vocabulary and progressively disclosing regulatory information to clearly explain complex money movement.
$17.8M
USDG assets under management
33%
User penetration
40%
of OKX's US stablecoin AUM
$5.1M
Weekly deposits
- Role
- Content Designer
- Company
- OKX
- Launch
- 0-1
- Market
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Status
- Shipped
Gap in social infrastructure
USDG Rewards is a dollar-pegged stablecoin rewards program on OKX. I led content design across discovery, education, and activation, translating a complex regulated product into clear, trustworthy language for US users who needed to know exactly what a reward is, who pays it, and what happens to their money.
Objective
Make a new stablecoin worth opting into. Users had to see how rewards worked, who paid them, and what happened to their money, in language Legal could sign off on.
Challenge
I couldn't say "interest" or "guaranteed returns." So I had to explain daily accrual, weekly payouts, and empty balances without those words, and without leaving users guessing.
What I did
- Designed the disclosure hierarchy for rewards, custody, and risk
- Wrote discovery, education, onboarding, empty states, and error recovery
- Partnered with compliance to pre-clear reusable language patterns
Preempting user questions
Users needed to know what USDG is, who pays the rewards, and what happens to their money before they would opt in. I mapped the questions that showed up in research and support, then answered them in the product itself.
- How do rewards accrue?
- When do I get paid?
- Are my funds locked?
- Where do rewards come from?
- Why don't I see rewards yet?
- What if I hold less than 1 USDG?
CONTENT CHALLENGE
What terms are we allowed to use?
Built a shared vocabulary with Legal and Compliance
A common set of terms we all use, consistently and compliantly. Consistent, pre-cleared language builds trust, sets accurate expectations, and keeps product, legal, and marketing aligned across every market.
Approved terminology
(Legal & Compliance)
Why we use it
Avoid
(Why)
Approved terminology
Rewards
Why we use it
Communicates the benefit without implying guarantees or fixed returns.
Avoid
Returns, profits, yield, interest
Implies guaranteed or fixed outcomes; not compliant in certain jurisdictions.
Approved terminology
APY (Annual Percentage Yield)
Industry standard, widely understood, and compliant.
Why we use it
Conveys that the rate is variable and based on compounding.
Avoid
APR, fixed rate
Can imply fixed, guaranteed returns.
Approved terminology
Paid weekly
Simple, factual, and sets clear expectations.
Why we use it
Sets clear timing expectations without over-promising.
Avoid
Instant payouts, daily payments
Inaccurate and can mislead users.
Approved terminology
Payout
Neutral term that describes the transfer of rewards.
Why we use it
Describes the action without implying a guaranteed outcome.
Avoid
Earnings, profits
Can imply entitlement or guaranteed income.
Used across all user touchpoints: in-app, help center, emails, and notifications.
How I answered them in the product
Who issues USDG?
USDG is issued by Paxos Digital Singapore (PDS), approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to issue stablecoins, ensuring compliance, safety, and transparency for your funds.
Rationale
- Build trust by naming the authorized financial institution that issues it
- Mention what it means for the user: "compliance, safety, and transparency for your funds."
Can I use my funds?
You’re free to move, trade, or withdraw your USDG anytime. There’s no hold on your funds.
Rationale
- Avoid technical terms like "liquidity" or "lock-up" to keep it simple
- Use "anytime" to emphasize flexibility
- Highlight that users have control over their funds
Fixed risky messaging
Before
After
WHY I CHANGED IT
- “Always” is a guarantee we can’t keep. Stablecoins have depegged, and absolute claims create both trust and compliance risk
- Shifted from promise to mechanism: naming real reserves and US Treasuries explains why the peg holds, which is more credible than asserting it will
- Separated peg from yield. The original could read as principal protection on the 4.1% APY
Impact
Clear, pre-cleared language turned a product people didn't understand into one they opted into.
- $17.8M in USDG assets under management
- 33% user penetration
- 40% of OKX's US stablecoin AUM
- $5.1M in weekly deposits
Learning
Compliance isn't the wall. It's the brief.