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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.

By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Nikhilesh De May 5, 2026, 10:39 p.m. 2 min readMake preferred on The first day of the Miami Consensus 2026 summit has so far been a huge success. (Media Center. (CoinDesk)

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.

Trust remains a primary barrier to broader crypto adoption, according to representatives from the National Cryptocurrency Association, Circle, U.S. Bank and ChangeNOW at Consensus 2026 in Miami.

Ali Tager of the National Cryptocurrency Association said research shows “the number one barrier to non-crypto holders is they just do not get it,” citing complexity, jargon and misinformation as persistent challenges.

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.

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 education as a necessary step for onboarding new users. Tager said the industry must “make it super simple, make it accessible, make it trustworthy” to reach mainstream audiences.

The discussion, moderated by Ashley Wright, focused on designing systems that prioritize transparency, usability and communication, with speakers agreeing that trust must be embedded across product design, customer engagement and regulatory frameworks rather than treated as a standalone feature.

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