Explicit `unwrap` (rust) is really orders of magnitude better than implicit `unwrap` (c dereference if you're lucky and the compiler hasn't optimized based on the assumption that the pointer is non-null). There aren't actually many explicit unwrap's in practical code, and they're something you notice when auditing or reviewing the code. The change in type means both the caller and the callee almost always agree on whether or not the contract is that "this pointer can be null" or "this pointer isn't null".