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.
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. Besides, she emphasized protecting customer information and reliable execution.
ChangeNow Executive Discusses Simplifying Crypto Transactions
ChangeNow Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Pauline Shangett also addressed transaction complexity during her TOKEN2049 keynote, titled “Next Billion Users Should Never Touch Blockchain”. Speaking at the Bit Digital Stage on October 7, she argued that crypto users should not have to select blockchain networks, manage gas fees, or navigate multiple services to complete financial transactions.
Shangett presented crypto super apps as a way to bring everyday financial activities into one product. Her presentation focused on reducing the technical steps involved in using crypto services, with applications handling network-related processes rather than requiring users to manage them individually.
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.
ChangeNow also recorded its NOW Effect interview series at TOKEN2049, hosted by journalist Ramia Farrage. The interviews featured representatives from Stellar, Injective, NEAR Intents, USDD, Sonic, and Zcash. Discussions covered cross-border payments, institutional participation in decentralised finance, stablecoins, blockchain privacy, and usability.
MetaMask’s representative discussed using AI agents to carry out transactions. Meanwhile, Trezor’s software product lead, Denis, described how hardware could approve agent 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.
Meanwhile, AI agents could make crypto transactions easier by handling certain steps on behalf of users. Hardware wallets and approval mechanisms could help users retain control over those actions.
This approach raises an important question about how much authority should users give to automated systems? Developers must balance convenience with transparency.
Users need clear information about what an agent intends to do and when approval becomes necessary. They should also retain access to transaction details. This balance could become increasingly important as crypto applications introduce more automated financial services.
A Closer Look into the Discussion
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. They pointed 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.
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.
