Why DeFi adoption hinges on user experience: Russell and Shahab break down the real barriers to mass adoption and how they're solving the UX problem that's held crypto back for years

Russell Shen is CEO of Dexari, a self-custodial mobile trading app built on Hyperliquid that combines centralized exchange UX with decentralized finance security. With a background spanning sell-side analysis at top-tier Chinese firms and executive roles at major centralized exchanges including HTX and Gate.io, Russell brings deep expertise in bridging traditional finance and DeFi. In this episode, Russell articulates a vision for mainstream crypto adoption through superior user experience and institutional-grade infrastructure, demonstrating how Dexari is democratizing access to leverage trading, diverse asset classes, and self-custody. His insights on Hyperliquid's ecosystem potential and the maturation of crypto markets provide DeFi enthusiasts with forward-thinking perspectives on the future of decentralized trading infrastructure.

Shahab S. is Head of Marketing at Dexari, bringing a marketing-first vision for building crypto communities that prioritize culture and sustained engagement. With a background in UGC strategy at GoPro and marketing leadership at companies like Tastemade and Liquid Death, Shahab combines Web2 expertise with deep crypto passion. In this episode, Shahab articulates an ambitious five-year vision for Dexari as a comprehensive fintech platform—seamlessly integrating trading, yield generation, and potential crypto debit card functionality in a fully self-custodial environment. His perspective on financial freedom and community-driven product development offers DeFi enthusiasts actionable insights into how decentralized apps can achieve mass adoption while maintaining the security and autonomy that define the crypto movement.