Infrared Finance
Launching on Berachain
Infrared Finance
DeFi
Product Design
nfrared Finance Launching the largest protocol on Berachain Executive summary Berachain is a Layer 1 blockchain built around a new consensus model called Proof-of-Liquidity, which uses three tokens: BERA for gas, BGT for governance and HONEY as a stablecoin. It’s a powerful model, but it asks a lot of users. Staking, delegating to validators and chasing rewards across vaults can be complex, and BGT itself can’t be traded, which ties up value. Infrared was built to solve this. Users stake their LP tokens with Infrared, which collects BGT emissions on their behalf and mints liquid iBGT back to them. Alongside iBGT and iBERA, Infrared automates staking, validator delegation and reward optimisation, so users can earn from Proof-of-Liquidity while keeping their assets usable across DeFi. In 2024, I led branding, digital strategy, UX and UI for the Infrared platform ahead of Berachain’s mainnet launch. The challenge was to make a brand-new mechanism on a brand-new chain feel simple and trustworthy from day one, with clear vault flows, rewards users could understand at a glance and a distinctive identity that stood out in a crowded launch. My role Branding, digital strategy, UX/UI design, responsive web design and platform launch. The outcome Berachain’s mainnet launched on 6 February 2025, and Infrared became its biggest protocol almost immediately. Over $1 billion in TVL at launch, reaching $1.4 billion within three weeks Largest protocol on Berachain, with over $1.7 billion TVL by March 2025 Helped Berachain pass Base and Arbitrum in TVL within weeks of launch Infrared raised a $14 million Series A after launch
Challenge
Designing everything from zero. Infrared needed a brand, a digital strategy, a website and a full product interface all at once, with no existing design system, visual identity or patterns to build on. A launch date set by someone else. The deadline was tied to Berachain’s mainnet, not Infrared’s own schedule. Design had to keep pace with engineering, and there was no option to push back the launch. A brand-new mechanism on a brand-new chain. Proof-of-Liquidity, BGT emissions, iBGT and iBERA were unfamiliar even to experienced DeFi users. There were no established patterns to borrow, so every flow had to explain itself. Making complexity feel simple. Staking, validator delegation, vault selection and reward optimisation all had to be compressed into clear, confident actions, without hiding the mechanics people needed to understand. Earning trust on day one. Users would be depositing serious amounts into a protocol with no track record on mainnet. The brand and interface had to signal security, credibility and transparency from the first screen. Standing out in a crowded launch. Dozens of protocols were launching on Berachain at the same time, all competing for the same users and liquidity. Infrared needed a distinctive identity that felt native to Berachain’s culture while still looking serious. Designing for scale before it existed. The interface had to handle a fast-growing list of vaults, rewards and balances, and stay fast and readable under heavy launch-day demand. Moving fast without breaking consistency. With a small team working remotely and changes landing daily, every screen had to stay consistent as the product evolved right up to launch.
Solution
I approached Infrared as one connected launch rather than separate projects. Brand, strategy, website and product were designed together, so everything a user saw, from the first social post to their first deposit, felt like the same trustworthy product. The brand came first, giving Infrared a bold, distinctive identity that felt at home in Berachain’s playful culture while still signalling the seriousness of a protocol holding real value. From that identity, I built a lean design system with a focused palette, a clear type scale and a small set of reusable components for vaults, balances, rewards and transactions. This let me design new screens quickly and keep everything consistent as the product changed daily in the lead-up to launch. In the product itself, the goal was to make Proof-of-Liquidity feel simple. The core journey was reduced to a few clear steps: pick a vault, deposit, receive iBGT and watch rewards grow. Vaults were presented in a scannable list showing what matters most, such as yield, TVL and rewards, so users could compare options at a glance. Plain-language explanations of iBGT, iBERA and validator delegation sat alongside each action, helping newcomers understand what they were doing without slowing down experienced users. Trust was designed into every screen. Clear balances, transparent reward breakdowns, confirmation states and visible risk information helped users feel confident depositing into a new protocol on a new chain. The interface was built responsively and designed to scale, ready for a growing list of vaults and heavy launch-day traffic. Working at the same pace as engineering, I delivered launch-ready designs fast enough to meet Berachain’s mainnet date, so Infrared went live complete, polished and ready for the rush of users that followed.
Result
Infrared launched alongside Berachain’s mainnet on 6 February 2025 and became the chain’s biggest protocol almost immediately. Users deposited over $1 billion at launch, and within three weeks Infrared had reached $1.4 billion in total value locked, ahead of every other protocol on Berachain. The momentum continued. By March 2025, Infrared had grown past $1.7 billion in TVL, accounting for more than half of the roughly $3 billion locked across the whole Berachain ecosystem. Infrared’s growth helped Berachain overtake established networks like Base and Arbitrum in TVL within weeks of launch, and the team went on to raise a $14 million Series A. The design held up under that scale. The brand gave Infrared a recognisable identity in a crowded launch, the design system kept the product consistent as it evolved, and the simplified vault and deposit flows helped thousands of users take part in Proof-of-Liquidity with confidence from day one. Over $1 billion in TVL at launch $1.4 billion within three weeks and $1.7 billion+ by March 2025 The largest protocol on Berachain, holding over half the ecosystem’s TVL Helped Berachain pass Base and Arbitrum in TVL A $14 million Series A raised after launch
From our Client:
“William’s turnaround was remarkable. With Berachain’s mainnet approaching, we needed a brand, a strategy and a full product experience fast, and he delivered polished, launch-ready work at a pace that kept up with our engineering team. Infrared launched as the largest protocol on Berachain, and William’s design was a big part of making it feel simple and trustworthy from day one.”
Raito
Founder