Senior executives at a CoinDesk Consensus Miami conference highlighted how the inclusion of varied perspectives can transform outcomes in product development, policy-making, and hiring within the crypto space. The panelists shared instances from their companies where external insights led to significant shifts.
Maja Lapcevic, Mastercard’s SVP for Blockchain & Digital Assets, noted that her team initially focused on infrastructure as a catalyst for crypto adoption. However, after reevaluating based on feedback, they shifted towards enhancing usability, which influenced the development of stablecoin-linked cards aimed at users in regions with limited financial services access.
Alison Mangiero, CCI’s Chief Strategy Officer, emphasized how their understanding of staking evolved following input from developers during policy discussions. Initially categorized simplistically as a fund or yield product, it was clarified that staking is more accurately described as a technical service due to its unique underlying mechanics.
Clerisy Co-Founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson discussed the importance of diverse hiring practices. She shared an experience with a startup where Myers-Briggs analysis revealed that most team members were extroverts, underscoring the need for internal diversity in addition to external representation.
Mangiero concluded by stressing the industry’s responsibility to include various communities and perspectives in its discourse, including token holders and developers on blockchain networks. She highlighted the importance of balancing consumer protection with fostering innovation as integral to forming effective policy.