The Winter holidays are coming, and for crypto enthusiasts, that means more than gift exchanges. It’s also navigating potentially awkward conversations about digital assets with skeptical relatives.
Crypto has had a highly visible year, with headline moments ranging from the launch of a Trump-linked memecoin and talk of strategic crypto reserves to multiple companies adopting crypto treasury strategies. Banks, payment providers, and fintech platforms have also expanded crypto services, making digital assets harder to ignore even for non-users. As a result, crypto discussions may come up more naturally at the family table.
Classic memes typically assume that it’s relatives who may start the conversation about crypto. However, according to a survey of over 1,000 active crypto traders, it’s crypto enthusiasts who want to start the discussion and share their own experiences. 34% say they will or would like to bring up crypto during holiday gatherings and conversations with friends and family, and 9% say they might.
Yet this enthusiasm is paired with a hesitance. While crypto users may want to talk about things they are accustomed to or interested in, 52% say they feel somewhat uncomfortable discussing crypto with people outside the space, and 11% say the experience can be very uncomfortable.
This disconnect points that crypto enthusiasts feel the urge to explain, educate, and correct misconceptions, yet they anticipate disinterest or skepticism, potentially making it not worth a shot.
Luckily for most, only 8% believe crypto may come up naturally during holiday gatherings, while a majority (73%) don’t expect anyone to mention it at all.
Fighting the Narrative Disencourages Crypto Discussions
When asked what the public misunderstands about crypto and what can make them feel uncomfortable discussing crypto, 42% pointed to the belief that it’s all scams or gambling. Another 24% cited the perception that crypto is too complicated or only for tech-savvy users. Crypto users know they’re likely to face skepticism at the dinner table — and that uncomfortable expectation helps explain why many hesitate to bring up the subject.
The messaging strategy reflects the defensive posture, indicating that respondents overwhelmingly want to challenge the “gambling” narrative. To do that, 48% of respondents want people to understand that crypto is a long-term investment, not just speculation.
Notably, 75% say the perception they’d most like to inspire is that crypto is risky but useful, a notably cautious stance that acknowledges dangers while arguing for practical value.
Leading With Cross-Border Payments and Personal Stories
Crypto users appear to have settled on concrete, relatable examples to make their case. 37% chose faster and cheaper cross-border payments as the brightest example they’d cite to highlight the utility of digital assets. This reflects broader ecosystem data: stablecoin transaction volume has surpassed Visa’s and Mastercard’s annual transaction totals in 2024. In addition, remittances and other retail-sized stablecoin transactions remain one of key drivers of grassroots adoption, reaching all-time high in Q3.
Personal experience ranked even higher as a potential conversation tool: 79% say they’d share their own success stories, whether it’s user experience or investment portfolio performance, if this can support the claim.
This emphasis on the personal and practical suggests a community is focusing on what works, what they’ve experienced firsthand, and what might resonate with a general audience rather than diving into utopian visions of decentralization.
Institutional Adoption as Proof of Maturity
To counter the “bubble” narrative, 36% point to institutional treasuries and ETFs as evidence that crypto is maturing and experiencing increased adoption. Another 35% cite major payment companies like Mastercard, Visa, Paypal and Stripe integrating crypto or stablecoins. These reflect a community eager to demonstrate that crypto has moved from fringe experiment to mainstream financial infrastructure.
Yet despite this emphasis on legitimacy and real-world use, only 11% say they want to explain the underlying technology and how it solves problems traditional finance cannot. This suggests a pragmatic pivot away from topics that can face increased skepticism.
What This Means for the Industry
The survey paints a picture of a maturing community still struggling with its public image. Crypto users are enthusiastic, hopeful, and increasingly focused on practical benefits rather than revolutionary rhetoric. But they’re also defensive, uncomfortable, and acutely aware that much of the world may not see them from the best angle.
The web content provided by CEX.IO is for educational purposes only. The information and tools provided neither are, nor should be construed as, an offer, or a solicitation of an offer, or a recommendation, to buy, sell or hold any digital asset or to open a particular account or engage in any specific investment strategy. Digital asset markets are highly volatile and can lead to loss of funds.
The availability of the products, features, and services on the CEX.IO platform is subject to jurisdictional limitations. To understand what products and services are available in your region, please see our list of supported countries and territories. This page includes additional links to information about individual products, and their accessibility.