ChangeNOW Brings Industry Leaders Together at TOKEN2049 to Explore the Future of Crypto Payments

Crypto payments, AI-powered wallets and privacy emerged as key themes during four panels hosted by ChangeNOW at TOKEN2049 Singapore, where industry leaders discussed what it will take to make digital assets part of everyday life.

As the crypto industry looks beyond trading and token swaps, the conversation is increasingly shifting toward practical applications that can attract and retain mainstream users.

This was a central theme across four discussions hosted by ChangeNOW at TOKEN2049 Singapore, featuring perspectives from companies including MetaMask, Trezor, WalletConnect, Banxa, Aztec Labs and RocketX.

The panels explored how crypto products can become more accessible, how wallets may evolve through automation, and why payments and infrastructure will be critical to the next phase of adoption.

Payments Could Be the Missing Piece for Crypto Super Apps

One of the main questions raised during the discussions was how crypto super apps can encourage users to engage with their products more frequently.

Aleksandra Korneva, co-founder of Rubic, observed that token swaps alone do not necessarily give users a reason to return to an application every day. Payments, by contrast, could create more regular interactions and help bring multiple financial services together in a single interface.

Alex Radu, CEO of Pulsar Money, similarly identified payments and trading as potential foundations for super apps designed to combine different financial activities. For many users, the priority is straightforward: being able to move money securely, affordably and without unnecessary complexity.

Michelle Herman of CoinRoutes offered a more measured perspective, highlighting the continued value of specialized services rather than assuming that every financial function should be consolidated into one application.

She also stressed that user data protection and reliable execution remain essential as platforms expand their capabilities.

The discussion underscored a broader challenge for the industry: building products that offer the convenience of an integrated financial experience without compromising security, privacy or service quality.

ChangeNOW Explores How Wallets Can Become More Seamless

The evolution of crypto wallets was another major focus of the ChangeNOW hosted panels, particularly the question of how much complexity can be removed from transactions without taking control away from users.

Yana, ChangeNOW’s Head of Business Development & Account Management, highlighted gas requirements as one of the obstacles that can make cross-chain swaps more complicated than they need to be. Simplifying these processes could help users interact with digital assets without having to navigate the technical details behind every transaction.

The discussion also examined the potential role of AI agents in wallet management. MetaMask’s representative addressed the use of AI to execute transactions, while Denis, Trezor’s Software Product Lead, described exploring ways for hardware wallet users to approve actions initiated by automated agents.

These developments raise important questions about the balance between convenience and user control. While automation could make crypto transactions easier, users must still be able to understand and authorize the actions taken on their behalf.

Denis emphasized that a simpler interface should not mean concealing every detail. Users should be able to access relevant transaction information whenever they need it, reinforcing transparency as wallets become more sophisticated.

Building the Infrastructure for Everyday Crypto Payments

Making crypto payments accessible to a broader audience requires more than an intuitive interface. It also depends on the underlying infrastructure, from connectivity and liquidity to privacy and regulatory considerations.

During the infrastructure discussion, WalletConnect stressed that everyday payments should not require users to understand the technical foundations of blockchain technology. Mainstream adoption depends on making the experience intuitive enough for people without specialized knowledge.

Privacy was another important consideration. Aztec Labs highlighted the challenges businesses would face if sensitive transactions, such as employee payments, were publicly visible on a blockchain. Protecting commercially sensitive information could therefore play a significant role in encouraging wider business adoption.

Banxa emphasized the importance of collaboration among specialized infrastructure providers, while RocketX discussed bringing liquidity from multiple sources together through a unified interface.

Together, these perspectives highlighted the need for an ecosystem in which different providers work together to make crypto transactions more accessible, efficient and practical.

How Crypto Companies Can Reach the Next Wave of Users

The final discussion turned to audience development and the changing ways people discover digital products as AI reshapes online search.

Media participants described placing greater emphasis on interviews, podcasts and direct relationships with their audiences as traditional search traffic becomes less predictable. Building recognizable voices and stronger communities is increasingly important for maintaining visibility.

CoinEasy offered a more localized perspective, explaining that its Korean community and domestic search presence had helped limit the impact of these changes so far. The company also discussed exploring AI tools to reach new audiences, alongside offline events and physical products that strengthen engagement with its community.

The conversation highlighted how distribution strategies are evolving alongside the products themselves. Reaching new users increasingly requires a combination of digital discovery, trusted content and direct community engagement.

ChangeNOW Contributes to the Conversation on Crypto Adoption

Across the four panels at TOKEN2049 Singapore, a common theme emerged: the next stage of crypto adoption will depend on making digital assets useful beyond the existing trading community.

Payments could encourage more frequent engagement, AI may simplify wallet interactions, and stronger infrastructure could remove technical barriers. At the same time, privacy, security and transparency will remain essential to building user trust.

By bringing together perspectives from across the crypto ecosystem, ChangeNOW provided a platform for industry participants to examine these challenges and discuss the developments that could shape the future of digital finance.