Representatives from the National Cryptocurrency Association, Circle, Bank of America and ChangeNOW at the Consensus 2026 conference in Miami said trust remains a major barrier to wider cryptocurrency adoption.
Ali Tager of the National Cryptocurrency Association said research shows that “the number one barrier non-cryptocurrency holders face is that they don’t understand,” citing complexity, jargon and misinformation as ongoing challenges.
Panelists from Circle, US Bank and ChangeNOW said trust is built over time through user experience rather than technical propositions. “You don’t gain trust in technology in 30 seconds,” says Circle’s Britt Cambas, who emphasizes clarity and complexity reduction as prerequisites for adoption.
Bank of America’s Rachel Castro said trust is at the heart of financial services and “is easily broken,” adding that once trust is lost, it takes longer to rebuild.
Speakers highlighted customer support and human interaction as key differentiators for crypto platforms. “When it comes to web3 projects, the main factor I trust is feeling like you’re working with real people,” says ChangeNOW’s Pauline Shangett, who points to a gap in user support across the industry.
Kambas said reducing ambiguity in products and partnerships is key, noting that simplifying complex systems drives adoption more effectively than new features.
Panelists also noted that education is a necessary step in attracting new users. Tiger said the industry must “make it super simple, easy to understand, and trustworthy” to attract a mainstream audience.
The discussion, moderated by Ashley Wright, focused on designing systems that prioritize transparency, usability and communication, with speakers agreeing that trust must be embedded in product design, customer engagement and governance frameworks, rather than being treated as a stand-alone feature.