Opinion by: Louise Ivan, co-founder and CEO of Ryder
Step up, maximalists. Crypto is not the domain of today’s early adopters and philosophically driven “Hodlers”. The demographics of crypto usage are shifting rapidly, with StableCoins, in particular, leading the charge.
Forget about freshmen stacking SATs. In Q3 2025, Tether’s USDT (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC) together accounted for about 40% of the total crypto volume. This gargantuan figure is due, in part, to people from emerging regions such as Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America who want a better way to move their money.
Their reasons for diving into crypto are practical and straightforward. If Crypto Tech wants to meet them where they are, its products must evolve to meet those changing needs.
The need for practicality drives adoption
Not long ago, getting into crypto meant buying bitcoin (BTC), perhaps reading a white paper or two, and learn—sometimes, the hard way—about seed phrases, personal wallets and the perils of self-custody.
Today, most people outside of crypto enthusiasts don’t think about ideological freedom or permissionless money. They think about needs. The drive for practicality is everywhere.
In 2025, retail transfers below $250 have increased in volume, reflecting the growth in everyday, small-value payments (the exact kind needed for groceries, bills or home tuition).
StableCoins dominate this pattern, becoming the first crypto asset many people encounter, especially in areas where banks are slow, expensive or unreliable.
The Philippines ranks among the world’s largest recipients of remittances. Citizens need to send money across borders cheaply, quickly and without banking barriers. StableCoins will solve that problem.
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Centralized exchanges and peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms are now experiencing an influx in traffic from users who value cryptocurrency for its utility rather than ideological reasons. This is not just anecdotal: chainalysis’ 2025 Global Adoption Index out that India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Brazil and the Philippines is leading the activity of native cryptos, which are mostly ramped up by non-volatile assets, such as StableCoins.
According to the World Economic Forum, the average The transfer of StableCoin to emerging markets ranges from $ 100 to $ 500. Cross-border remittances form a multibillion-dollar part of the crypto ecosystem annually.
Crypto adoption among Filipinos, in particular, increased to 22.5%, from 17.8% last year, driven primarily by gaming and remittance needs. Other fast-moving markets, including Nigeria and Vietnamalso experiencing similar trends. Practicality and necessity are what drive people to crypto, rather than the prospect of freedom, money or other philosophical motivations.
New users need a new type of security
There is, however, a tradeoff dealing with wings. New users mainly care about utility—specifically, sending and receiving funds—and often skip the deeper foundations of crypto, such as private keys, seed phrases and self-trust. They are more likely to rely on wallets provided by exchanges or guardians. While these solutions may be more straightforward and familiar, they run on the original ethos of crypto: not your keys, not your coins.
It’s not just about ease of use; It’s about risk and responsibility. The “lose your seed phrase, lose your crypto” narrative is a nonstarter for someone who spends $60 on groceries. If self-sufficiency means risking the loss of valuable household funds due to a forgotten order of words, adoption slows down and trusts.
For businesses and platforms, the lesson is clear: If most new users lack the desire or time to master seed phrases and backup protocols, crypto security needs to be built natively into the product, not bolted on as an afterthought.
Innovators are on the case. Companies are experimenting with Abstracting seed phrases are far away, using multi-layered account recovery, trusted contacts or even hardware integrations to safeguard assets without exposing users to the complexity of cryptocurrency cryptography.
Security evolves from a test of technical knowledge and mental tenacity to a transparent background feature.
Abstracting complexity is key to the next wave of adoption
The new wave of crypto users isn’t waiting for perfect UX. They are already using StableCoins for real-world utility, they realize that the rails of the blockchain are either beneath them or not. Many Filipinos are engaging in P2P cash exchanges to convert their digital assets back to fiat currency.
The convenience and speed of Crypto is embedded in the daily lives of millions, allowing them to send money, make purchases on the Facebook market, settle family bills and manage hustles in gaming economies.
Crypto Technology’s next big win isn’t about championing ideological arguments; It is about quiet power in the global movement of money and Commercenative to everyday apps, as frictionless as sending a whatsapp message.
Some of the world’s largest businesses, from remittance processors to mobile money providers, are integrating blockchain rails, creating experiences where users don’t see a wallet address or a blockchain explorer but instead enjoy faster settlements and lower fees.
Built-in security is a must
What does this mean for teams building crypto solutions? First, products must make security seamless and not a burden for the user to carry. Custodial wallets, social recovery, multifactor authentication and even regulated, insured custody options are all part of the toolkit. If cryptocurrency aspires to mainstream adoption and financial inclusion, it must recognize the needs and risk tolerance of its users. It should deliver best-in-class UX, transparent safeguards and effective recovery options.
Second, it means welcoming a new global crypto population: not just cypherpunks and maximalists, but people who rely on utility, trust and practical empowerment. The cryptocurrency industry is poised for a broader transformation. Blockchain is the rails, but onboarding is effortless, security is built-in, and mass adoption doesn’t require everyone to be their own bank.
With USDT and USDC now accounting for 40% of global crypto trading volume, and over 161 million people holding StableCoins, the asset class is larger than the population of the world’s 10 largest cities combined.
The fastest growing crypto economies are not coming for philosophy. They want solvency, convenience and freedom from banking banking.
Crypto’s future depends on recognizing the changing face of adoption. We must build technologies that serve this new reality.
Opinion by: Louise Ivan, co-founder and CEO of Ryder.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
