Girex
Crypto exchange platform
Turning a founder's high-level exchange concept into a coherent web and mobile product for people who need a simpler way to move between crypto and fiat.
Visit product- Role
- Technical Product Manager & Product Engineer
- Scope
- Product definition · Web · Mobile
- Stage
- Final internal testing
- Timeline
- Jun 2025 — Present
Context.
The founder brought the original idea, market knowledge and major capabilities. I turned that direction into product flows, requirements, delivery stages and a working product the team could build and prepare for release.
The first goal was deliberately narrow: prove that a user could register, find an offer and complete a basic P2P exchange flow on test networks. After the alpha and a pause, development continued with the backend/DevOps engineer and me working part-time toward a production-oriented beta.
My role.
I worked across product definition, team coordination and hands-on delivery—from shaping flows and scope to rebuilding the web frontend and creating the mobile app.
- Translated business requests into user flows, requirements, stages and delivery scope.
- Assembled and coordinated the initial backend, frontend and design team.
- Ran planning calls and maintained working documentation and the delivery backlog.
- Challenged requirements through user scenarios, edge cases, business logic and UX reasoning.
- Rebuilt and owned the production-oriented frontend architecture and design system.
- Defined, designed and built the React Native application.
Key product decisions.
Protect the P2P core
I recommended postponing merchant and offline functionality in the first phase and defining the alpha around one complete P2P journey. That gave the part-time team a concrete proof-of-concept target delivered in roughly three months.
Model offline exchange around locations
I identified that a physical exchange point was not another advert and reframed the location as the primary entity, with rates, liquidity, opening hours and supported assets attached to it—creating a clearer foundation for discovery and merchant operations.
Build mobile capability in-house
After reviewing an external Flutter proposal, the existing React product and long-term maintenance, I recommended React Native and internal delivery. I defined the mobile scope, navigation and interaction patterns, then built the application myself.
Web platform.
The web beta grew from a narrow P2P proof of concept into a connected product for customers, merchants and platform operations. I replaced most of the alpha frontend while establishing the architecture, design system and stronger flows needed for release preparation.
A complete P2P deal flow.
The beta connects offers, escrow-backed deals, payment details, clear order states and real-time chat in one continuous journey.
Offline exchange, modeled around locations.
Exchange points became the core entity for offline discovery and operations.
A single customer view for trust and funds.
Balances, wallets, verification and reputation meet in one customer view.
Tools for day-to-day merchant operations.
Merchant tools support exchange points, orders, wallets and operating data.
Operational control across the platform.
Operational tooling covers users, merchants, KYC, appeals and platform activity.
Mobile app.
After recommending React Native and internal delivery, I defined the mobile scope, information architecture and interaction patterns, then built a TestFlight beta covering the principal customer flows.
Wallets and balances
The web dashboard and profile become one simpler home for balances, wallets and account status.
P2P marketplace
Frequent destinations stay in the tab bar, while Create Offer remains available without dominating the mobile journey.
Offline exchange map
Exchange discovery becomes a full-screen map with a draggable results panel designed for one-handed use.
Outcome.
Delivered
- Customer web and React Native applications.
- Online P2P offers, deals, chat, appeals and support flows.
- Wallets, transaction history, profiles, verification and reputation.
- Offline exchange-point discovery, rates, liquidity and orders.
- Merchant tools for exchange points, orders, wallets and analytics.
- Admin tools for users, offers, appeals, KYC and platform operations.
Current state
Girex moved from a name, brand color and broad concept to a working product spanning customer, merchant, admin, web and mobile experiences. The platform is now undergoing final internal testing, security hardening and release preparation before its public launch.
What I learned
The biggest lesson was to protect shorter release-and-feedback cycles more firmly. I would now define success criteria and event tracking earlier, test the smallest reliable version with external users sooner, and hold the agreed scope more tightly.
Let's build what's next.
I work across product definition, UX and engineering to turn complex ideas into working digital products.
Tell me what you're building