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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crypto needs to fix its image—or it'll stay stuck in its malaise
Crypto is a tale of two worlds. On one hand, the space has never had as strong a product-market fit as it does today across a range of categories, from payments to infrastructure to decentralized finance. Builders have access to capital, a more welcoming (if still imperfect) domestic regulatory environment, and increasingly mature infrastructure. It's easier to build and use crypto products now than at any point in the past. Yet on the other hand, the space continues to be awash with grift, short-termism, and a lack of broader public support. Sentiment was supposed to be different in 2025. Instead, a malaise still hangs over the market. What gives? Having been investing in crypto since 2019, I'm no stranger to skepticism about the space. I'm a believer, of course, and readers of the crypto trades embrace the field—and I'd even venture to say a significant portion of Fortune readers are believers, too. We don't have to convince each other. We feel the potential and see the progress; the outside world largely sees confusion, scams, and broken promises. So it's worth writing this and continuing the conversation among friends and skeptics alike. The fact is crypto's biggest headwind isn't regulation, price action, or even grifters. It's perception. From the outside looking in, the industry often comes off as unserious. But beneath the surface, real businesses solving real problems are being built. We need to advance the conversation beyond the crypto echo chamber on X. We need to build businesses that solve real-world problems—not just airdrop hype or pocket JPEGs as NFTs. Because that's what the outside world is seeing. Despite the perception, real progress is happening. Measuring crypto adoption is notoriously difficult, but estimates suggest that around 7% of the global population owns crypto today. That's meaningful, but it's nowhere near enough. We haven't had the 'my mom is using crypto' moment yet. In my day job at a generalist venture fund, I don't care whether a company uses blockchain or not. But I do care if blockchain unlocks a meaningful advantage. Crypto is a 'choose your own adventure' technology and can be applied in a million ways. Sometimes it's the right tool, sometimes not. Removing friction—whether in cross-border payments, mobile, or beyond—is how we get crypto to the mainstream. Not by preaching to the choir. Not by leaning into financial speculation. But by creating experiences that are better, faster, and cheaper for everyday people—even if they don't know (or care) that crypto is under the hood. Consider DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network), which refers to a physical infrastructure network that uses blockchain to improve the efficiency of a network (e.g., wireless networks, energy grids, data storage, etc.). Projects like Helium and M13 portfolio company Hivemapper incentivize consumers with tokens to participate in their networks (i.e., deploying wi-fi hotposts for Helium, dashcams for Hivemapper), and as a result they can build networks with structurally lower capex costs than their counterparts. Does the average person know what DePIN is? No. But the average person doesn't understand or care how Google Maps or Boingo Hotspots work either. In both cases, blockchain is the catalyst. Token incentives offset the massive capital expenditure that traditionally gatekeep infrastructure build-outs. Participants are rewarded for participation, and networks are scaled faster and cheaper than we've seen with that of innovations built on Web2, where users felt compelled to build out and contribute solutions through user generated content and social media. That is the DePIN playbook at work. Stablecoins—tokens that are pegged to a fixed value, often a fiat currency—have become one of crypto's real-world use cases. In 2024, stablecoin volumes hit $8.5 trillion. While small compared to the $190 trillion in global cross-border payment volume, they're growing rapidly for good reason. Programmable payments, 24/7 operations, and nearly instant settlement of stablecoins offer compelling alternatives to the traditional correspondent banking model plagued by trapped liquidity, opacity, high costs, and slow timelines. Friction in cross-border payments will dissipate as dollars become digitized in the form of stablecoins. Another overlooked area for friction removal is the mobile experience. Today's mobile web is riddled with clunky payments, difficult authentication, and poor identity management. Mobile crypto apps have historically made this worse, not better. But that's starting to change. Crypto wallets like Phantom are bringing intuitive, consumer-grade experiences to crypto. Mobile wallets are getting easier to set up, fund, and use across applications. Meanwhile, hardware innovation is picking up steam. The team behind the blockchain Solana developed its own phone, the Saga, and while it may not replace the iPhone anytime soon, it was a strategic signal: The future of crypto needs to be mobile-native, not just mobile-compatible. Expect deeper OS-level integrations—from native wallets to decentralized identity management—to become table stakes in the next wave of devices. Crypto enthusiasts already imagine a future where signing into an app, sending a payment, proving your identity, or verifying a document is native to your phone without needing dozens of middlemen apps or endless passwords. Now, it's time to simplify the message and make it relevant to outsiders. To truly break through, the crypto community needs to address our industry-wide marketing problem. Here's how: Speak in benefits, not features: Talk about what crypto enables, not how it works. Embrace accessibility: Build products that feel familiar while delivering new value. Demonstrate integrity: Actively distance ourselves from the scams and schemes. Show don't tell: Let working products build credibility instead of promises. The next wave of crypto winners will make the technology invisible and inevitable—solving real problems that matter to people outside our echo chamber. I feel that's already happening. Crypto has a marketing crisis, not a tech one. We need to stop convincing ourselves and start welcoming outsiders through demonstrable value. Only then will we transform from a niche technology movement into the foundation of a more efficient, accessible digital future. The opinions expressed in commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune. Read more: America must harness stablecoins to future-proof the dollar Stablecoin legislation risks sowing seeds of a financial crisis The U.S. dollar's strongest ally is crypto Elon Musk wants the U.S. Treasury to be on a blockchain. That's a terrible idea—take it from a big proponent of the technology This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Bee Maps Launches Beekeeper: Smarter Vehicle Intelligence for the Real World
New AI-powered system helps businesses use their vehicles to understand what's happening on the road, without complexity, cost, or surveillance SAN FRANCISCO, CA, April 17, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- Bee Maps today announced the launch of Beekeeper, a new AI application paired with the Bee LTE device that helps businesses turn their vehicles into a source of real-time insight and location awareness. Beekeeper replaces the need for outdated, bulky dashboards and intrusive, glorified 'nanny cams.' Instead, it gives you a live, simple view of what's happening across your vehicles—using AI to highlight what matters and ignore what doesn't. 'We didn't set out to build just another camera system,' said Ariel Seidman, CEO and co-founder of Bee Maps. 'We built Beekeeper by riding with drivers and listening to what operations teams actually need. They don't want more footage—they want answers. So we focused on making a system that sees the road, understands it, and delivers real intelligence without all the noise.' With Beekeeper, companies can see where their vehicles are, understand what's slowing them down, and flag risks as they happen. The Bee device captures and processes video and location data on the edge—no manual reviewing, no lag, no bloat. Beekeeper also taps into Bee Maps' deep spatial intelligence engine. That means it's not just about tracking movement—it understands street-level conditions like detours, blind intersections, weigh station delays, complex last-mile delivery spots, and more. The result: smarter deliveries, safer routes, and fewer surprises. What's included: For more information about the Beekeeper AI application, see our launch blog here. Click here to read more about why we built Beekeeper now and the value of an AI-built approach. Beekeeper is available now, with flexible pricing based on what your business actually needs. To learn more: About Bee Maps Bee Maps, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hivemapper Inc., is a pioneering brand dedicated to providing the freshest and most precise mapping data available. By leveraging the unique capabilities of the Hivemapper Network, Bee Maps offers a range of products designed to meet the growing demand for real-time, high-quality map data across various industries. For more information, visit and Hivemapper Hivemapper is dedicated to democratizing fleet management technology for commercial operators worldwide. By combining advanced AI dashcam hardware with intuitive analytics software, Hivemapper delivers real-time data that helps fleets optimize routing, increase safety, and reduce costs. With the launch of Beekeeper, Hivemapper continues its mission to support smaller fleets that power essential services—whether it's pest control, telecom repairs, traveling nurses, or local delivery. Media Contact JT Eger [email protected] ### SOURCE: Bee Maps Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire
