4.1% APY in a market trained to doubt it.
Skepticism was the starting point
US users had learned to be skeptical. High APY meant risk. So the real challenge was building trust into the product itself, not just the messaging. Every touchpoint, from regulatory clarity to reward explanations, had to make 4.1% APY feel like something the product earned, not promised.
One message system, every surface
From the first moment a user sees USDG in their portfolio, through tracking rewards, to reconciling a transaction. The same three answers carry across the journey: automatic, available, variable.
Three of the surfaces I owned, side by side.
Every product rule was a hidden user question
Behind each compliance constraint sat a real worry. My job was to translate the constraint into copy that answered the worry, plainly, without overpromising.
What happens automatically, what does the user control?
Is this locked? Guaranteed? Who issues USDG?
Avoid guaranteed, free, passive. Use earn, may vary.
Smart cards, rewards, transactions, FAQs, opt-outs.
One system, three lenses
I built a reusable model so the next person picking this up does not have to re-litigate every decision. The framework for the user questions to answer. Language rules for how to say it. Surface strategy for where to say it.
Use "USDG" when users are acting
Use "stablecoin" when users are learning
Use "earn" and "rewards", not "yield" or "accrual"
Always pair benefit with control or context
Same product, sharper words
Each edit removed a system word, a hedge, or an implied risk, and put a user benefit in plain view.
Two markets, two jobs
The same product launched into two very different markets. The numbers tell us where the content job changes from awareness to reinforcement, and that shapes the next quarter of work.
vs 10% Q4 target
Users already get it. Next move: connect USDG to broader spend, save, and trading behavior, instead of re-explaining the product.
Users default to USDC. The work here is comparison and education. Why USDG, how it differs, and why holding stablecoins matters during drawdowns.
Why this work mattered
USDG Earn was not just a rewards launch. It was a trust system. Built for a market trained to doubt yield, shipped under regulatory scrutiny, and adopted faster than anyone expected.
The work proved that careful, conversational copy can move real money. And that a well-designed content system outlasts the product it was built for.