Trust remains a primary barrier to broader crypto adoption, according to representatives from the National Cryptocurrency Association, Circle, US Bank and ChangeNOW at Consensus 2026 in Miami.
Ali Tager of the National Cryptocurrency Association said research shows that “the biggest barrier for non-crypto holders is that they just don’t understand it,” citing complexity, jargon and misinformation as ongoing challenges.
Panelists from Circle, US Bank and ChangeNOW said trust is built incrementally through user experience rather than technical claims. Britt Cambas of Circle said “you don’t gain technical trust in 30 seconds,” emphasizing clarity and reducing complexity as prerequisites for adoption.
US Bank’s Rachel Castro said trust is central to financial services and is “very easily broken”, adding that once lost, it takes significantly longer to rebuild.
Speakers highlighted customer support and human interaction as critical differentiators in crypto platforms. Pauline Shangett of ChangeNOW said that “the primary confidence factor for me when it comes to a web3 project is a sense that you’re working with real people,” pointing to gaps in user support across the industry.
Cambas said reducing ambiguity in products and partnerships is key, noting that simplifying complex systems can drive adoption more effectively than new features.
Panelists also pointed to training as a necessary step to onboarding new users. Tager said the industry needs to “make it super simple, make it accessible, make it believable” to reach mainstream audiences.
Moderated by Ashley Wright, the discussion focused on designing systems that prioritize transparency, ease of use and communication, with speakers agreeing that trust needs to be embedded across product design, customer engagement and regulatory frameworks rather than being treated as a stand-alone function.
