Payments could be the daily hook crypto super apps need, ChangeNOW’s TOKEN2049 panels suggest

Payments could give crypto apps the frequent use that token swaps alone often lack, speakers argued during four panels hosted by ChangeNOW at TOKEN2049 Singapore. 

The discussions brought together representatives from MetaMask, Trezor, WalletConnect and other firms to examine how crypto products could reach a wider audience.

Payments emerge as the everyday anchor for super apps

In the super app discussion, Rubic co-founder Aleksandra Korneva noted that many swap users have no reason to transact every day. Pulsar Money CEO Alex Radu identified payments and trading as two possible foundations for apps combining several financial services. 

“They just want to transact in a safe and secure and cheap way,” she said.

CoinRoutes’ Michelle Herman was more cautious about an app that does everything. She argued that specialized services still have a role and emphasized the importance of protecting customer information and delivering reliable execution.

Wallet builders weigh AI agents against user visibility

The wallet discussion explored how much of a transaction an app should handle for its users. Yana, ChangeNOW’s Head of Business Development & Account Management, pointed to gas requirements as one source of friction in cross-chain swaps. 

MetaMask’s representative discussed using AI agents to carry out transactions, while Trezor’s software product lead, Denis, described exploring how a hardware device could let users approve agent-initiated actions.

Denis also cautioned against hiding every detail in the pursuit of a simpler interface. Information should remain available when users need it, he said.

Infrastructure panel calls for simpler and more private payments

On the infrastructure panel, WalletConnect’s Diana Alexandrova argued that everyday payments should not demand technical expertise. “They don’t have to be cryptographers,” she said of users.

Aztec Labs highlighted privacy as another requirement for wider adoption, pointing out that businesses would not want employee payments publicly visible. 

Banxa advocated cooperation between specialized infrastructure providers, while RocketX described bringing liquidity from different sources into a unified interface.

AI search reshapes how crypto products find their audience

A separate discussion on audience growth examined how users would find these products as AI changes search. Media participants described investing more in interviews, podcasts and direct relationships with readers as search traffic became harder to depend on.

CoinEasy offered a more local perspective, saying its Korean community and domestic search presence had limited the impact so far. It also described efforts to reach people through AI tools and expand offline events and physical products for its community.

ChangeNOW’s super app push at TOKEN2049

TOKEN2049 Singapore took place on October 7–8 at Marina Bay Sands, drawing around 25,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors and 300 speakers. ChangeNOW began as a no-KYC platform and now positions itself as a crypto super app that brings swapping, storage and other tools together in one place. 

Alongside the panels, its presence at the event included a co-branded CoolWallet × ChangeNOW hardware wallet with ChangeNOW built in as the exclusive in-app swap provider, as well as a Global Stage talk by Chief Strategy Officer Pauline Shangett titled “Next Billion Users Should Never Touch Blockchain.”