Opinion by Jonathan Farnell, CEO of Freedx

It’s 2025, and over 560 million people worldwide are already using cryptocurrency — roughly 17 times the population of Tokyo. That’s a vibrant community, yet for every user who’s embraced it, billions more stand on the sidelines, put off by the complicated interactions and clunky interfaces of protocols, platforms, decentralized apps (DApps), and mobile applications. Why? Blockchain technology offers game-changing potential — decentralized ownership, secure trades — but let’s face it: Most people still find it intimidating, risky, and confusing. User experience (UX) might just be the deciding factor in whether cryptocurrency achieves mass adoption or remains a niche segment.

Take complexity. A 2024 Chainalysis report pointed out that 43% of would-be crypto users shy away from the technical tangle of private keys and gas fees. Have you ever lost a seed phrase? You’re not alone. More than $200 billion in crypto has been lost forever because of it. That’s not just a statistic — it’s a gut punch for someone who thought they’d unlocked the future of finance. Streamlining this chaos could fling open the doors to 5 billion internet users, pushing crypto’s $2.91 trillion market cap, as reported by Cointelegraph, into the stratosphere — potentially reaching $4 trillion in the second quarter of 2025.

From headaches to high fives

Many decentralized finance (DeFi) apps currently feel like a hacker’s playground — all data and API integrations, but nothing intuitive that speaks to an ordinary person. Simply swapping cryptic jargon for plain English would be a solid start. Consider swapping “gas fees” to “transaction costs.” Those 12-word seed phrases send users into panic mode, but a familiar gear icon for settings could put users’ minds at ease. Suddenly, managing a wallet isn’t a high-stakes game anymore. It’s just another tool.

This isn’t about dazzling users with blockchain’s inner workings. Most people don’t care about the tech under the hood, just like they don’t ask whether their favorite app runs on AWS or Google Cloud. Blockchain isn’t a shiny new internet. It’s infrastructure — powerful, but invisible, when done right. Users want solutions — quick payments, secure savings, and easy access. Streamlined experiences could draw in everyday folks — retirees sending cash to grandkids, small business owners managing cash flow — expanding cryptocurrency’s reach. It’s about turning a daunting process into something approachable, paving the way for broader economic effect. 

Build confidence through clarity

Trust is another sticking point. Transactions can feel uncertain, with phishing scams and tales of lost savings heightening unease. Vague error messages like “transaction failed” frustrate users, but specific feedback — “insufficient funds, please top up your balance” — offers reassurance. Guides on staying secure and pre-set options to avoid errors can make the system feel reliable, not reckless. When technology fades into the background, confidence takes center stage.

Design quality shapes perceptions, too. Unpolished interfaces raise doubts about credibility, especially for those accustomed to refined digital tools. Clean, professional layouts signal trustworthiness, while clear benefits — faster payments and control over data — make the case compelling. This shift could reposition cryptocurrency as a practical alternative, not a gamble. It’s not about buzzwords like “trustlessness” or “censorship resistance.” Most users don’t lose sleep over those ideals. They care about quality, ease, and value, not the blockchain badge.

Adoption depends on usability

Cryptocurrency could reshape how people trade, save, and connect — growing from 617 million users to billions. Success hinges on accessibility. Platforms that prioritize straightforward design already see more engagement and trust, driving market potential into the trillions, rivaling traditional finance. Poor usability, though, risks leaving this vision unrealized. The promise of self-custody or transparency won’t lure the masses if the experience feels like a chore.

Recent: Stop making crypto complex

Challenges like regulation and old habits persist, but confusing experiences remain the most significant barrier, keeping everyday users at arm’s length. Blockchain’s promise is real, yet its breakthrough relies on design that feels human and dependable. People don’t adopt tools because they’re built on cutting-edge tech. They adopt tools because they solve real problems — cheaply, simply, and reliably. Cryptocurrency stands ready to expand — it needs to meet people where they are, not where the tech wants them to be.

Focus on benefits, not features, and the market could soar. Consider a freelancer who is paid instantly across borders or a parent gifting digital cash without a hitch. That’s what hooks users — not the mechanics of account abstraction or zero-knowledge proofs. Platforms that nail this could turn crypto into a daily staple, boosting adoption and market value. Exchanges leading the charge with intuitive design already prove it: Usability drives growth. Cryptocurrency’s future isn’t about preaching blockchain’s brilliance — it’s about making it so seamless no one even notices it’s there.

Opinion by Jonathan Farnell, CEO of Freedx.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky will probably be allowed to travel for his daughter’s wedding regardless of the outcome of his May 8 sentencing hearing.

In a May 8 filing in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge John Koeltl approved an application for Mashinsky to travel from New York to Memphis, Tennessee, between May 26 and May 29 for his daughter’s wedding. The approval was available on the public docket on May 8, but later appeared to have been removed.

Judge Koeltl will determine in a May 8 hearing whether Mashinsky serves prison time following a plea deal with prosecutors.

The former Celsius CEO appeared ready to go to trial in 2024 until his lawyers lost a motion to have his charges dismissed. He pleaded guilty to commodities fraud and a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the price of the platform’s native token, CEL.

Related: Celsius’ Mashinsky lashes out at ‘death-in-prison sentence’

Mashinsky has been free on a $40-million bond since July 2023, with travel outside certain areas requiring court approval, such as the roughly 900-mile (1,500-kilometer) distance between New York and Memphis. At the time of publication, it’s unclear if he will be expected to surrender to authorities.

Prosecutors have asked the judge to impose a 20-year sentence on the former Celsius CEO, while Mashinsky’s lawyers requested that he serve one year and one day in prison. The hearing could be a bellwether for how criminal cases involving cryptocurrency could change under the Trump administration, which appointed the interim US Attorney for the court district.

Magazine: ‘Less flashy’ Mashinsky set for less jail time than SBF: Inner City Press, X Hall of Flame

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.

Bitcoin has reclaimed the $100,000 price level for the first time since January, reflecting renewed bullish sentiment among investors.

Bitcoin (BTC) reclaimed the $100,000 mark on May 8 at 11:22 UTC, surging 4.2% from the intraday low of $95,967, according to data from CoinGecko.

It marked the third time that BTC has broken through the six-figure level since first achieving it on Dec. 5, 2024. A second all-time high followed on Jan. 20 ahead of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Bitcoin price chart in the past year. Source: CoinGecko

Unlike the previous $100,000 hits, the new price spike came as Bitcoin market dominance surged above 60%, reflecting potential bearish sentiment for altcoins.

Bitcoin dominance below 60% in past $100,000 breakthroughs

Bitcoin dominance — the asset’s share of the total cryptocurrency market — has been steadily rising over the past year. During its first run to $100,000 in December 2024, BTC dominance stood at 52%. By January 2025, that figure had increased to 54%.

Bitcoin all-time dominance chart. Source: CoinGecko

The latest spike in Bitcoin dominance matches historic levels last seen in early 2021, when Bitcoin was trading at around $36,000 and heading toward its previous all-time highs above $60,000.

“Bitcoin has been showing strength for weeks now, outstripping other digital tokens, and scarcely flinching against the sort of geo-political events in Asia and the Middle East that may have impacted it in the past,” Mercuryo CEO Petr Kozyakov told Cointelegraph.

“With gold also running good all year, there’s now a case for saying that Bitcoin may have proven itself as an economic hedge and a long-term store of value,” he added.

Why is the Bitcoin price rising now?

Bitcoin’s latest $100,000 breakthrough came amid a combination of political, institutional and macroeconomic factors.

Some in the community linked Bitcoin’s latest bullish action to a potential trade deal between the US and the United Kingdom, which Trump hinted at in a Truth Social post on May 7.

“Bitcoin is hovering near $100,000, a key psychological level for traders, after Trump hinted at a major trade deal, likely with the UK,” Kronos Research chief investment officer Vincent Liu told Cointelegraph.

Related: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF clocks 16 days of inflow as BTC reclaims $97K

Liu said the rally is also supported by falling bond yields, a weakening dollar and renewed institutional inflows in spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, which saw $1.8 billion of inflows in the past trading week.

Crypto Fear & Greed Index. Source: Alternative.me

Despite bullish momentum and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index consolidating in the “Green” area at its current score of 65, some key US economic data is anticipated to forecast Bitcoin’s moves shortly, according to Liu:

“While momentum is strong, upcoming US budget data on May 12 and CPI [Consumer Price Index] on May 13 will be key in determining if BTC can break and hold above this level. For the rally to sustain, the trade deal narrative will need to evolve into concrete progress.”

According to Ben Caselin, chief marketing officer at VALR, there is a “good chance” that Bitcoin will chart new highs, north of $110,000, sooner rather than later, as the asset seeks to consolidate its value above $100,000.

“Retail is only set to come in toward what is traditionally the latter part of the Bitcoin four-year cycle, which might see a macro top reached in Q4 of this year,” Caselin told Cointelegraph.

At the same time, given continued progress in global crypto regulation and multiple strategic Bitcoin reserve initiatives, Caselin also sees a chance of “prolonged and accelerated growth beyond 2025.”

Additional reporting by Amin Haqshanas.

Magazine: Bitcoin to $1M ‘by 2029,’ CIA tips its hat to Bitcoin: Hodler’s Digest, April 27 – May 3