As part of Outset PR’s Web3 communications talks, the agency founder Mike Ermolaev recently spoke with Jamie Elkaleh, CMO of Bitget Wallet, about how marketing changes when a crypto wallet evolves from a trading tool into a broader financial interface.
Summary
- Crypto marketing is moving towards utility-driven adoption, where product experience and real-world usability play a central role.
- Regional differences increasingly shape communication strategies, as adoption patterns, regulations, and user expectations vary between markets such as Asia and the West.
- As the industry matures, both media narratives and market movements are becoming more influenced by verifiable data, institutional capital, and macroeconomic forces.
While the full conversation explores everything from user acquisition to media strategy and the shifting dynamics of crypto markets, here are several key insights that are worth broader market attention.
Smooth onboarding drives sustainable user acquisition
One of Jamie’s key points is that sustainable wallet growth is no longer driven by incentives. Airdrops and points programs are often used to generate rapid attention. But according to him, these tactics rarely translate into long-term users. Instead, the focus should be on reducing product friction and simplifying onboarding.
“When users can transact without managing seed phrases or holding native gas tokens, adoption becomes more sustainable.”
In a utility-driven market, Jamie says, product design effectively becomes marketing.
Marketing in Asia vs. the West reflects different user expectations
Another point Jamie raised is that crypto marketing strategies vary significantly by region.
In Asia, adoption is closely tied to everyday financial use cases such as remittances, cross-border transfers, and stablecoin payments. As a result, communication tends to focus on speed, accessibility, and practical value.
“In 2025, the region recorded a 69% year-over-year increase in on-chain value. That reflects strong grassroots usage.”
In Western markets, the situation is different. Regulatory clarity and institutional trust shape user expectations much more strongly.
“With frameworks such as MiCA in Europe and new U.S. stablecoin legislation, users prioritize compliance, proof of reserves, and risk transparency.”
Despite these differences, Jamie notes that the core requirement remains the same across regions: products must work reliably in real-world financial contexts.
Data now underlies media credibility
At Bitget Wallet’s scale, Jamie insists that media coverage can’t rely on generic commentary. Journalists increasingly expect verifiable data that helps explain what is actually happening in the market.
“We publish research reports based on on-chain analytics and user behavior trends, which allows reporters to reference measurable insights.”
Per him, stories supported by real usage patterns – whether in transaction volume, adoption, or user growth – travel much further across the media ecosystem. This approach also changes how the team evaluates PR performance.
“We prioritize tier-one mentions, analyst citations, and share of voice within strategic narratives. Secondary indicators include organic brand mentions, backlink authority, inbound media inquiries, and invitations to podcasts or research collaborations.”
The real signal, Jamie adds, appears when external analysts start referencing the company’s data independently.
Crypto markets now move with macro capital
Jamie also confirms that crypto’s relationship with news has fundamentally changed. In earlier cycles, a single headline could move markets within hours. Today, price actions are increasingly shaped by macro capital flows, because
“Crypto has matured into a macro-sensitive asset class.”
As sector valuations reached multi-trillion-dollar levels, individual headlines naturally stopped carrying such influence.
With nearly $44 billion flowing into Bitcoin ETFs in 2025, institutional capital now plays a structural role in the market. In this environment, narratives matter less than fundamentals.
Utility is becoming crypto’s growth model
Reflecting on the conversation, one pattern becomes clear: the crypto industry is gradually shifting away from narrative-driven growth toward functional adoption.
Wallets are used not just for trading but for payments, transfers, and yield farming. Users expect reliability rather than explanations. And as institutional capital becomes a structural force, macro conditions are more important than short-term hype.
In that environment, the logic of marketing changes as well.
“If users don’t need to understand the infrastructure behind the product, the marketing has done its job.”
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