Vienna’s first unicorn: from “shady crypto” to a trusted investing brand

tl;dr

In three years, the company grew from 1M to 3M users by shifting the story from “invest from €1” to radical transparency and control. We uncovered the hidden struggle—people didn’t trust the fees and didn’t feel in control of their money—and rebuilt the brand, product messaging, and comms around that truth.

the quick stat block

• Category perception: from niche “crypto crowd” to mainstream, trustworthy investing
• User growth: 1M → 3M in ~3 years
• ‍Core shift: price-led ads → trust-led brand with transparent fees and EU credibility
• Channels: Reddit/Twitter only → diversified owned, paid, PR, and product surfaces

add visuals: [before/after ad], [old vs. new pricing copy], [trust section on site], [onboarding screen]

context

When I joined, the company had ~100 employees and no real brand. Awareness was low outside Reddit and Twitter. The leading message—“invest from €1”—won on clicks but lost trust once fees showed up. In a market people already considered “shady,” that gap broke confidence fast.

the problem we chose to solve

Not “how to make €1 sound better.”

How to make investing feel honest and in my control.

From interviews and support data, we heard two loud signals:

1. ‍Transparency beats teaser pricing. Users felt misled when real fees > €1.
2. European trust matters. Being an Austrian, European company was a proof point we barely used.

the core insight

People don’t invest because the minimum is low.

They invest because they trust the platform and feel in control of their money.

So we reframed the value proposition around:

• Radical transparency: plain language, no traps, no surprises
• Control: clear steps, clear costs, clear risks, clear progress
• European credibility: headquartered in Austria, compliant, responsible

the strategy in one line

Make transparency the product and control the feeling.

Then express it consistently across brand, product, and communications.

what we changed

1) value proposition and message architecture

• Replaced “invest from €1” with a trust-first story: why we exist, how we make money, what it costs you, and what we do to protect you.
• Built a message ladder: Promise → Proof → Product with mandatory proof points for every claim.
• Wrote plain-language standards for fees, risk, and security.

2) pricing and fees communication

• Killed teaser lines that didn’t hold up.
• Introduced simple, persistent fee explanations across the funnel: landing pages, onboarding, FAQs, ad footers, emails.
• Mandated “no surprises”: what you pay and when, always visible before action.

3) trust and EU proof

• Elevated European roots and compliance as credibility signals.
• Consolidated and simplified legal/security content into human-readable pages.
• Added always-on trust modules: who we are, how we safeguard funds, how we support users.

4) product UX copy and onboarding

• Rewrote onboarding to emphasize clarity, steps, and control.
• Surfaced risks, fees, and options before commitment.
• Gave users micro-feedback: where you are, what’s next, why it matters.

5) brand expression and go-to-market

• Moved from forum-native tone to a confident, helpful, European brand voice
• Rolled out a cohesive visual and editorial system so ads, product, site, and PR finally matched.
• Diversified channels beyond Reddit/Twitter to reach mainstream audiences with the same transparent story.

add visuals: [brand voice snapshot], [component library excerpt], [onboarding frame], [site section with proof]

outcomes

growth and reach

• User base grew from ~1M to ~3M while expanding beyond crypto-native communities.

brand trust and consistency

• Fewer “gotcha fee” complaints after launch of transparent copy standards.
• Higher engagement on educational and proof-led content vs. price-led ads.

team alignment

• Marketing, product, legal, and support worked from one message architecture, reducing rework and mixed signals.

add proof: internal chart, testimonial, press snippet, app ratings trend if available

how the story evolved

Old

“Invest from €1.”

Implied affordability. Collided with real fees. Eroded trust on contact.

New

“Investing you can actually trust. Clear fees. European roots. You stay in control.”

Explains value first. Shows costs up front. Makes control the emotional win.

my role (kept tight on purpose)

I led the brand strategy and creative direction, working cross-functionally with founders, product, marketing, legal, and support. My remit: define the truth, make it simple, make it consistent, make it scale.

key contributions

• Customer insight program and synthesis into the transparency + control strategy
• Message architecture, tone of voice, and copy standards across product and comms
• “No surprises” fee communication framework and rollout
• Trust and proof system anchored in European credibility
• Creative direction for an integrated, consistent brand across channels

what this proves

Great brands don’t grow on catchy minimums.

They grow on truth people can feel. When the story, the product, and the proof line up, people say yes—and stay.

want a similar outcome?

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