Crypto still suffers from a branding gap despite growing institutional adoption, according to Stellar CMO Jason Karsh. The industry leans too heavily on esoteric jargon that alienates everyday users. Karsh argues crypto 'peaked in public' too early due to speculative mania, distorting its real potential. The bigger opportunity lies in rebuilding global financial rails to move and store value more efficiently.
Stellar is positioning itself at the center of tokenization and cross-border payments as institutions enter crypto. The network has focused on payments and real-world financial use cases since launching in 2014. That long-term approach is paying off as regulators warm to stablecoins and tokenized assets.
Karsh called stablecoins 'the killer first use case' because they mirror familiar fiat currencies, suggesting they be reframed as programmable dollars that earn yield and move instantly.
Pushing a sharp break from hype-driven marketing, Karsh says the industry needs a 'get rich slow' mentality: create value every day. He criticized projects prioritizing token launches over sustainable products. Strong brands, he added, come from consistent execution and aligning product with messaging.
Looking ahead, Karsh expects growth from replacing legacy financial systems with blockchain rails. He predicts both humans and AI agents will drive transaction growth, with agents eventually dominating volume. But near-term success depends on onboarding 100 million humans first.