What We Learned from Hundreds of Users About Web3 Automation

Following the launch of Ava Protocol Studio, our no-code workspace for building event-driven onchain workflows, we invited early users to share their thoughts. We wanted to understand how people manage tasks like token transfers, contract interactions, and strategy execution, what tools they’re using (if any), and what’s kept them from adopting automation.

The survey was anonymous and open-ended, and the level of engagement surprised us. We received hundreds of thoughtful, detailed responses that helped us better understand our target market and the people we’re building for. They also revealed common themes that reflect real needs across teams working in web3.

Here’s a breakdown of the clearest signals…

Key Findings

“A Web3 automation tool should streamline smart contract deployment, optimize gas fees, enhance wallet security, enable cross-chain transactions, and provide real-time analytics.” — survey response

Most users aren’t yet using automation tools.
64% of respondents don’t use any tools to automate onchain tasks. A small fraction (7%) rely on custom scripts or bots, but most either don’t know where to start or haven’t found a tool they trust. That’s a substantial segment with unmet needs.

The main obstacles are usability and trust.
When asked why they haven’t tried automation, users cited unfamiliarity, security concerns, and difficulty with setup as obstacles. There’s evident interest, but the onboarding experience still feels too fragmented.

Smart wallet awareness is still low.
Some users reported using wallets like Safe or Ambire, but most weren’t familiar with account abstraction or smart wallets when asked directly. Among those who were, issues like dapp compatibility and unpredictable gas fees came up as common frustrations.
Views on MPC wallets are mixed.
Multi-party computation (MPC) wallets like Fireblocks and Fordefi split key ownership across multiple parties. A few respondents selected them, and only a subset reported actually using MPC-based tools. Common concerns included complicated recovery, slow transaction signing, and relying on third parties.

Time-based and event-driven triggers are most in demand.
Most users mentioned wanting tools for recurring tasks or automations based on smart contract events. Webhooks and messaging signals were also mentioned, but recurring actions came up most consistently.

Gas fees are still shaping user behavior.
Users described routinely delaying or skipping transactions to avoid high fees. There’s a clear need for tools that help manage gas costs and improve execution timing.

What We’re Building Toward

“I’d love to see a Web3 automation tool that really leans into the unique strengths of blockchain technology while making it accessible and efficient for users… A drag-and-drop interface or pre-built templates… real-time blockchain monitoring with customizable triggers… Cross-chain compatibility… AI-driven insights — like predicting gas trends or flagging spam tokens…” — survey response

Understanding how users think about automation helps us build tools that solve immediate problems while making it easier for more people to use onchain infrastructure effectively.

Many of the signals we saw from the survey align directly with what we’re prioritizing on Ava Protocol Studio and the underlying automation layer:

Improving onboarding flows to reduce friction, especially for first-time users.
Rolling out templates to help users get started faster.
Integrating AI to simplify workflow creation.
Strengthening default protections for event-based execution.
Making conditions, triggers, and task setup easier to use.

Users will soon be able to prompt their automation needs, leverage AI to discover new use cases and opportunities, and experiment with workflows using natural language. We’ll also soon be sharing cross-chain expansion updates regarding BNB Chain and Soneium.

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We’re grateful to everyone who participated in the survey. Your input directly informs our roadmap.

There’s still a gap between what blockchain infrastructure can do and what most users experience day to day. The real challenge is turning powerful systems into something that actually feels intuitive and usable.

That’s our objective in a nutshell. Ava Protocol is making automation easier to adopt, more secure by default, and better aligned with how people actually interact with onchain tools.
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