Trust in crypto remains biggest barrier to adoption, say Consensus Miami 2026 panelists
Speakers point to complexity, poor user experience and lack of transparency as key obstacles for mainstream users.
What to know:
- Panelists at Consensus 2026 said trust remains the main obstacle to wider crypto adoption, driven by complexity, jargon and misinformation.
- Speakers from Circle, U.S. Bank and ChangeNOW argued that trust is earned through clear, simple user experiences, strong customer support and visible human interaction rather than technical claims alone.
- The discussion emphasized that transparency, usability, education and regulatory alignment must be built into product design and communication to make crypto accessible and trustworthy for mainstream users.
Panelists from Circle, U.S. Bank and ChangeNOW said trust is built gradually through user experience rather than technical claims. Britt Cambas of Circle said “you are not going to get technical trust in 30 seconds,” emphasizing clarity and reducing complexity as prerequisites for adoption.
Rachel Castro of U.S. Bank said trust is central to financial services and “very easily broken,” adding that rebuilding it takes significantly longer once lost.
Speakers highlighted customer support and human interaction as critical differentiators in crypto platforms. Pauline Shangett of ChangeNOW said “the primary factor of trust for me when it comes to a web3 project is a feeling that you are working with real people,” pointing to gaps in user support across the industry.
