Hassan Maishera
As the cryptocurrency industry matures beyond speculative growth cycles, crypto exchange KuCoin believes the next stage of Web3 competition will be driven by trust infrastructure rather than hype, traffic, or token incentives.
Speaking during a panel discussion titled “The Answer to Web3 Liquidity: Asset Management, CEX, DEX and the Future” at BEYOND Expo 2026 in Macao, KuCoin Chief Marketing Officer Skylar Wu said the industry is shifting from an “attention economy” to a “trust economy.”
According to Skylar, the era in which platforms relied heavily on speculative trading and short-term incentives to fuel growth is gradually coming to an end.
“The era of growth driven purely by speculative traffic and short-term incentives is fading,” Skylar said during the discussion. “The next generation of platforms will not win because they attract the most attention — they will win because they build the most trusted infrastructure.”
She explained that liquidity alone is no longer enough to maintain long-term competitiveness in the crypto market. Instead, both retail users and institutional participants are increasingly focusing on transparency, regulatory clarity, execution reliability, and security as digital assets become more integrated into the global financial system.
“In the past, infrastructure was measured primarily by speed and liquidity,” she said. “Today, infrastructure must also be measured by resilience, compliance, transparency, and the ability to operate sustainably across global markets.”
Skylar also highlighted the growing convergence between centralized exchanges, decentralized finance protocols, institutional trading infrastructure, and payment networks. She described this evolution as the rise of a “hybrid liquidity” ecosystem where users prioritize seamless and secure execution over the source of liquidity itself.
“Users care less about where liquidity comes from, and more about whether execution is efficient, secure, and reliable,” she noted. “Future platforms will abstract away blockchain complexity and deliver experiences that feel as intuitive as mainstream internet applications.”
She further pointed to the growth of Bitcoin ETFs, increasing stablecoin adoption, and expanding regulatory frameworks worldwide as signs that digital assets are transitioning from speculative instruments into core financial infrastructure.
Skylar emphasized that stablecoins, in particular, are evolving beyond trading tools and are increasingly being used as global payment and settlement rails.
As part of its long-term “Trust First” strategy, KuCoin said it continues to invest heavily in Proof of Reserves transparency, institutional-grade infrastructure, security systems, and regulatory compliance efforts. The company also referenced its ongoing $2 billion Trust Project initiative aimed at strengthening user confidence and platform resilience.
“Web3 is no longer just building trading platforms,” Skylar concluded. “The industry is building the trust infrastructure for the next era of digital finance. As global markets become increasingly interconnected, KuCoin aims to evolve beyond an exchange and help build the trust infrastructure that powers the One Global Financial Market.”
As a transparent platform, KuCoin recently released its $2B Trust Project Annual Review, marking one year since the initiative launched in April 2025.
Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 40 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience.
KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.
