If we learned anything from the largest on-chain event in history (Trump launching a memecoin), it is that users will come on-chain if you give them a reason to, and a frictionless way to do so.

We know this because Moonshot ended up onboarding over 1 million users in 72 hours following the TRUMP memecoin launch. This, evidently, is a signal that the days of CEX onboarding are no longer required.  

Plenty of projects love to tout their “user-centered design,” however, very few actually pull it off in a way that resonates with real users, like you. That’s why we still have a shortage of crypto apps that can truly rival the seamless experience we take for granted in web2.

Think about Apple ID, Apple Pay, or Amazon’s one-click checkout, all of which are patented because of how good they are in terms of user experience.

Any day, a good UX translates to more business.

The truth is that building a top-tier UX product isn’t a walk in the park. It takes serious effort, thoughtful execution, and a deep understanding of what users actually want, not what pesky teams think users would want.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing: people want simplicity, fewer clicks, fewer hoops to jump through, and way fewer "sign this" pop-ups.

Thankfully, we know a project that is focused on completely elevating the general dApp experience. Yup, you probably guessed it, it’s none other than Particle Network.

Particle’s approach to reinventing crypto’s UX cuts across a combination of tech implementations at the network layer.

I would recommend reading the previous article we published bout these guys if you haven’t already.

However, for Particle to truly claim it's cracked the crypto UX puzzle, it needs more than bold statements; it needs a product that proves it.

With that in mind, Particle introduced UniversalX, a product designed to put its UX vision to the test. Over the next few paragraphs, we’ll break down what UniversalX is, what it aims to achieve, and why it just might be the only tool a normie or an OG will ever need to navigate this wild, wild crypto west.

What is UniversalX?

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UniversalX is a Particle Network-powered crypto trading platform that is chain agnostic, enabling users to experience non-custodial trading of any token on any chain without having to bridge.

UniversalX is the world’s first chain-agnostic trading platform and represents the implementation of Particle’s Universal Accounts (UAs). This innovative concept enables users to manage multiple tokens across various blockchain networks using a single address, with combined balances displayed in a unified user interface, simplifying interactions with decentralized applications (dApps) across multiple networks.

UniversalX also allows users to buy tokens with their credit card.

I mean, you can legit purchase a token on any of the integrated layer-2 [L2] (about 14 of them at the moment) without having to worry about bridging to that network. The amount is just deducted from your single address balance, all on-chain, too.  

Additionally, users will be able to pay gas fees with any token and indulge in seamless cross-chain transactions with a single token from a single address.

The goal for UniversalX is to harmonize the average user’s on-chain trading experience, making blockchain navigation as seamless as possible.

The UniversalX platform supports Ethereum and multiple EVM L2 networks such as Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BNB chain, Avalanche, Linea, Manta, and non-EVM networks like Solana.

Now, before you think this is all some form of magic or CEX underneath skem, let’s paint a picture of how UniversalX works (non-CEX reliant) under the hood for ya!  

How UniversalX works under the hood?

With most cross-chain applications, users still have to manually bridge assets between networks, meaning they’re actively interacting with multiple chains.

UniversalX, on the other hand, takes a different approach by abstracting chains entirely. Instead of juggling multiple network balances, users see just one unified balance.

ETH on Base, Optimism, Arbitrum, Polygon — it's all just ETH. The cross-chain magic still happens, but it’s tucked neatly under the hood, so users never have to worry about the mechanics.

How does this work, though?

Universal Accounts function through the orchestration of four different components.

The first is the Universal Account. Beneath it are different smart accounts deployed on all of the indexed networks (EVM and non-EVM), working together to create a unified experience under a single account.

Think of the Universal account this way: You run a business and receive transfers from clients or customers around the world into your bank account. It doesn’t matter if the payments came from Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, or China; they’re all reflected under one balance in your account.

The next component is Universal Liquidity, which comprises multiple liquidity pools (currently 5 liquidity pools: ETH, USDC, SOL, USDT, BTC) across indexed networks functioning as base liquidity for cross-chain transactions across these networks.

The liquidity pools are made up of primary tokens, which are tokens users use to buy other tokens or which are received after selling a token.

Let’s say you’re using a Telegram bot to trade memecoins on Solana. Normally, you’d first have to load the bot with SOL, since it’s the network’s primary token — before buying any token. When you eventually decide to sell, whether at a profit or a loss, you receive SOL back.

This entire flow underscores a simple mechanic: SOL is the backbone of the Solana network, just like ETH is for Ethereum and its L2s.

However, some networks take a slightly different approach, using stablecoins like USDC or USDT as quasi-primary settlement assets in specific liquidity pools alongside the main network token (which is used as gas.)

That’s exactly why UniversalX indexes these tokens across multiple liquidity pools on different networks, making sure users get seamless access to liquidity, no matter which asset is dominant on a given chain.

Universal Liquidity is pivotal to the entire mechanics of the Universal Account.

Functioning on top of Universal liquidity is Universal Gas.

When UniversalX allows users to pay gas fees using any token, what actually happens is that the token is deducted. However, under the hood, the fee is paid from the Universal liquidity pool, which, as we’ve just explained, contains multiple liquidity pools where the actual gas token is extracted from.

Beyond these underlying mechanisms, UniversalX integrates multiple external DEXes to handle transactions efficiently. For SOL-based trades, it taps into Jupiter, while Li(dot)Fi powers EVM-based transactions, ensuring smooth swaps across ecosystems.

But here’s where it gets even more interesting: UniversalX operates on an intent-centric model.

Instead of manually signing every step, users simply express their intent, whether it's buying, selling, or sending, and a filler executes the action on their behalf, even covering transaction fees.

The only thing the user sees? A change in their Universal account balance.

For example, if a user chooses to send a token from one network to another, rather than using a bridge, the user, through UniversalX, can follow the following steps:

• Select the token you want to send, e.g., ETH (which can be sourced from any number of chains you have ETH on)
• Select receiving token and network, e.g., Arbitrum
• Specify the amount and gas token
• Click send

Voila! The token will be bridged under the hood to the specified network (Arbitrum).

UniversalX uses the Particle Chain as a settlement layer for abstracted cross-chain transactions.

When a user submits an intent, the filler's execution is coordinated through the Particle Chain, which efficiently orders transactions and matches them with the best liquidity pools available. The result is seamless, optimized execution.

How to use UniversalX?

Using UniversalX starts with generating a Universal account using either of the available sign-up methods: web2-associated login methods like Google, iCloud, your X account, or the Discord app.

Alternatively, you can use a web3 wallet like Phantom to access the platform.

Once you gain access to UniversalX using any of your login methods, you’ll be accorded a Universal account address which you can fund and immediately utilize the Universal features.

Users can send tokens across any chain by selecting the token they want to send, proceeding to select the destination token and network, entering the amount to be sent, selecting the gas token, and pressing send.

Would it arrive fast? 100% yes! UniversalX is built to have almost instant finality, guaranteeing super-fast transactions.

Users can also trade tokens on EVM and non-EVM networks like Solana with a few clicks:

• Select the token to be purchased, or paste a CA
• Specify the amount in USD
• Click confirm
• Allow UniversalX to do the rest

The trade will be executed optimally, choosing the best route to lock in low fees and execute more efficiently.

Besides the aforementioned features, there are others, such as the Token Discovery feature, which allows users to see new tokens launched on any chain in real time, pretty much like how DEX Screener works.

Consequently, users will be able to set price alert notifications and skim through thousands of indexed tokens, spoilt with choice on what to trade.

Additionally, the UniversalX app has an invite and red packet feature. Users will earn 30% of the trading fees from their referrals, and using the red packet feature, users can gift them any crypto of their choice.

The UniversalX app is available on desktop, iOS, and Android.

While these features form the first version of the UniversalX app, the team is far from done.

A newer version (UniversalX v2) has gone live bringing a lot of new features that complement existing ones. There are a lot of other exciting things planned. Stick with us through the next few subheads as we share what’s in store for both old and new users.

UniversalX v2

Shortly after releasing the first version of the first chain abstraction app, UniversalX, the Particle team released v2, which has many exciting new features.

Among these new features is a real-time radar that allows users to instantly find tokens with growing volume and attention across multiple network chains on different time frames.

Another important feature is a more sophisticated insights tool that allows users to examine token performance across different market segments within the web3 space.

In v2, users can also streamline their attention thanks to indexed niche categories and portfolios.

For example, a user can see what a particular VC’s portfolio is like and decide to make trading decisions based on that. This tool allows for segmented token discoveries, giving users a more condensed view of the market without anything left out.

UniversalX v2 will also allow traders to view and interact with zero-latency charts on different tokens across different ecosystems without having to visit another platform. Users can monitor token details, including live changes w.r.t. token data.  

Additionally, UniversalX charts come with full customizability, allowing traders to customize how they view the charts. This includes being able to change colors, add and remove trading indicators, and more.

But that’s not all. V2 introduces qualitative data, which allows users to see information like whether a token is safe, the DEXes where it can be traded, the CEXes where it is listed, social information, and warnings on unsafe tokens.

UniversalX v2 also improved the portfolio. It is more advanced and displays time-based performance data, allowing users to track the growth of their portfolio over time.

UniversalX incentives

From everything we’ve just covered, it’s pretty clear that UniversalX isn’t just another huff and puff. They’re actually onto something big.

So far, the market seems to agree. Adoption has been steadily growing, with more and more traders using UniversalX to simplify their on-chain experience.

But to take things up a notch, the team indulges in spontaneous giveaways called Universal jackpots. In these, users who trade, tweet, earn, and mint tickets can win up to $10k, with one winner getting to keep the pot per week.

We expect the team to come up with much more detailed info about further incentive plans soon; for now, we simply hold our breath. The logical advice here would be for you to start using UniversalX if you haven’t.

Now let’s wrap up this lengthy yap, shall we?

Concluding thoughts

Two things are true: if crypto is gonna win, UX has to win, and if we are being honest, we are no longer a young industry, so we cannot use that as an excuse anymore to show why we are miles away from adoption.

If anything, there’s no better moment than now when the stars are aligning, and world leaders and institutional bottlenecks are beginning to warm up to the idea that crypto is indeed here to stay.

With this in mind, UniversalX is no small feat! The underlying tech, Universal Accounts, is already being adopted at a very fast rate, with projects like IVX, Taker protocol, and KiloEX integrating it.

Another exciting thing about all this? You can always bet on products backed by teams that ship fast (study Jupiter and Hyperliquid).

Unlike projects that wait around for feedback before shipping new versions, Particle Network and UniversalX are constantly refining the product in real-time.

Their goal? To make UniversalX more social, and yes, that means AI agents are an addition or an integration that we’ll most likely see somewhere in the future.

Judging by the speed at which this team ships, that future isn’t just coming; it’s practically knocking at the door.