Famed Coinbase backer Fred Wilson predicts 2026 UX pivot for crypto

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Famed Coinbase backer Fred Wilson predicts 2026 UX pivot for crypto The VC mogul has previously said crypto apps must hide blockchain complexity or risk missing mass-market adoption. By Helene Braun , AI Boost | Edited by Cheyenne Ligon Jan 5, 2026, 5:49 p.m. (Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch) What to know : Fred Wilson predicts crypto will become more user-friendly in 2026. Wilson, who was an early investor in Coinbase, wrote his first post about bitcoin in 2011, calling it an "interesting investment opportunity." Fred Wilson, one of the most influential venture capitalists in the U.S., thinks crypto’s breakthrough moment in 2026 won’t come from new blockchains — but from making them invisible to their end users. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . “Blockchains disappear behind better consumer interfaces that allow users to use, spend, trade, and send tokens without concerning themselves with which blockchain they are on,” Wilson, who called bitcoin BTC $ 93,818.68 an "interesting investment opportunity" back in 2011, wrote in a blog post published last week. The prediction, tucked into a longer set of Wilson's tech forecasts for 2026, reflects a view he has held for years: blockchain’s promise depends on ease of use, not technical horsepower. Wilson is a founding partner of Union Square Ventures (USV), the New York-based VC firm behind early bets on Twitter, Etsy, and Tumblr. In crypto, he was early to Coinbase (COIN), Ethereum ETH $ 3,191.14 , and Filecoin FIL $ 1.6222 , and remains a consistent voice in long-term conversations about how blockchain could reshape the internet. Wilson, who has often described blockchains as the “next big thing” after social and mobile , has also been openly critical of the crypto industry’s worst habits. He’s pushed back against the culture of hype and token speculation , warning that short-term greed threatens the long-term credibility of the space. That real work, in Wilson’s view, includes things like decentralized identity, peer-to-peer finance, and open protocols that anyone can build on. In past posts , he’s compared the current state of crypto to the early internet, when even sending an email required a level of technical know-how. The path forward, he seems to believe, lies in better design. Apps should handle the infrastructure details — like what chain a transaction is on — in the background, so that users can focus on what they want to do, not how they’re doing it. For Wilson, this isn’t just a UX issue — it’s the difference between crypto staying a niche technology and achieving broad adoption. Fred Wilson AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy . More For You KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market By CoinDesk Research Dec 22, 2025 Commissioned by KuCoin KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market. What to know : KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025 , equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month , marking its strongest year on record. This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume , as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes , which slowed during periods of lower market volatility. Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split , each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line. Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity , reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover. Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity , indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes. View Full Report More For You Filecoin surges 6%, outperforms wider crypto markets By CD Analytics , Will Canny | Edited by Nikhilesh De 20 minutes ago The storage token outperformed the broader crypto market during a volatile session. What to know : FIL jumped 6% on Monday to $1.59 outpacing the broader crypto market. The CoinDesk 20 index was 2.2% higher. 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