Crypto’s Changing Demographics Demand A New Approach To Crypto Security

Opinion by: Louise Evan, Co-Founder and CEO of Ryder

Step aside, you extremists. Cryptocurrencies are not the domain of early adopters and philosophically motivated “traders” anymore. The demographics of cryptocurrency usage are changing rapidly, with stablecoins, in particular, leading the trend.

Forget about hoarding new arrivals. In Q3 2025, Tether’s USDT (USDT) and Circle’s USDT (USDC) together accounted for nearly 40% of total cryptocurrency volume. This huge number 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 the cryptocurrency space are practical and straightforward. If cryptocurrency technology wants to meet their needs wherever they are, its products must evolve to meet these changing needs.

The need for practicality drives adoption

Not so long ago, getting into the world of cryptocurrencies meant buying Bitcoin (BTC), maybe reading a report or two, and learning — sometimes, the hard way — about the seed phrases, personal wallets, and risks of self-custody.

Today, most people outside cryptocurrency enthusiast circles don’t think about ideological freedom or permissionless money. They think about needs. The drive for practicality is everywhere.

In 2025, retail-sized transfers rose to less than $250, showing growth in small-value, everyday payments (specifically the kind needed for groceries, bills, or home tuition).

Stablecoins dominate this pattern, becoming the first crypto assets many people encounter, especially in places where banks are slow, expensive, or unreliable.

The Philippines is among the largest remittance receiving countries in the world. Citizens need to send money across borders cheaply, quickly and without banking hurdles. Stablecoins solve this problem.

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Centralized exchanges and peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms are now seeing a surge in traffic from users who value cryptocurrency for its utility rather than ideological reasons. It’s not just stories: Chaina Analysis’ 2025 Global Adoption Index He appears India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Brazil, and the Philippines lead grassroots cryptocurrency activity, much of which is channeled through non-volatile assets, such as stablecoins.

According to the World Economic Forum middle Conversion of stablecoins in emerging markets ranges from $100 to $500. Cross-border money transfers make up a multi-billion-dollar part of the cryptocurrency ecosystem annually.

Cryptocurrency adoption among Filipinos, in particular, rose to 22.5%, compared to 17.8% last year, primarily driven by play-for-profit gaming needs and conversions. Other fast-growing markets, including Nigeria and Vietnam, are also seeing similar trends. Practicality and necessity drive people to cryptocurrencies, rather than the prospect of freedom, money, or other philosophical motivations.

New users need a new kind of security

However, there is a trade-off inherent in the wings. New users are primarily concerned with utility — specifically, sending and receiving money — and often skip deeper cryptographic basics, such as private keys, seed phrases, and self-storing. They will likely rely on wallets offered by exchanges or custodians. While these solutions may be more straightforward and familiar, they go against the original spirit of cryptography: not your keys, not your coins.

It’s not just about ease of use; It’s about risk and responsibility. The narrative of “lose your seed phrase, lose your crypto” is unacceptable for someone transferring $60 to buy groceries. If self-detention means risking losing the family’s core funds over a forgotten sequence of words, adoption slows and trust erodes.

For companies and platforms, the lesson is clear: If most new users lack the desire or time to master seed phrases and backup protocols, cryptographic security should be built natively into the product, not installed as an afterthought.

Innovators are already on the case. Companies are experimenting with seed phrase mining, using layered account recovery, trusted contacts, or even hardware integration to protect assets without exposing users to the complexities of cryptocurrency encryption.

Security evolves from a test of technical knowledge and mental perseverance to a transparent back-end feature.

Removing complexity is key to the next wave of adoption

This new wave of cryptocurrency users is not waiting for the perfect user experience. They’re already using stablecoins for real-world utility, whether they realize the rails of a blockchain exist beneath them or not. Many Filipinos are already participating in P2P fiat exchanges to convert their digital assets back into fiat currency.

The ease and speed of Crypto is integral to the daily lives of millions, enabling them to send money, make purchases on Facebook Marketplace, settle household bills, and manage side hustles in gaming economies.

The next big win for cryptocurrency technology won’t be about supporting ideological arguments; It will be about quietly supporting the movement of money and global trade, as essential in everyday applications, as frictionless as sending a message via WhatsApp.

Some of the world’s largest companies, from remittance processors to mobile money providers, are integrating blockchain paths, creating experiences where users never see a wallet address or blockchain explorer but instead enjoy faster settlement and lower fees.

Built-in security is a must

What does this mean for teams working on building crypto solutions? First, products should make security seamless and not a burden on the user. Custody wallets, social recovery, multi-factor authentication, and even secured and regulated custody options are all part of the toolkit. If cryptocurrency aspires to universal adoption and financial inclusion, it must recognize the needs and risk tolerance of its users. It must offer a best-in-class user experience, as well as clear warranties and effective refund options.

Second, it means welcoming a new global community of cryptocurrencies: not just crypto experts and hardcore, but also people who rely on utility, trust, and practical empowerment. The cryptocurrency industry is preparing for a much broader transformation. Blockchain technology is the norm, but the setup process is easy, security is built-in, and mass adoption doesn’t require everyone to have their own bank.

With USDT and USDC now accounting for 40% of global cryptocurrency trading volume, and over 161 million people own stablecoins, the asset class is larger than the population of the world’s 10 largest cities combined.

The fastest growing crypto economies don’t come down to philosophy. They want solvency, convenience and freedom from legacy banking

The future of cryptocurrencies depends on facial recognition changing adoption. We must build technologies that serve this new reality.

Opinion by: Louise Evan, Co-Founder and CEO of Ryder.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended and should not be taken 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.