“DeFi Needs Its iPhone Moment”: ChangeNOW CSO in CoinEdition Exclusive Interview

BALI, INDONESIA

As industry leaders gathered to debate the future of DeFi, Shangett argued that for crypto to achieve true mainstream adoption, it must evolve.

“Crypto already gives us freedom, but we should not compromise safety when talking about freedom,” Shangett told CoinEdition, warning that new investors from traditional finance (TradFi) will not tolerate the rampant security breaches and scams that plague the industry.

Pauline explained that while decentralization promises financial independence, security failures remain a pressing issue.

Hacks, rug pulls, and protocol exploits have shaken user confidence, and the complexity of most DeFi platforms only makes it worse for newcomers. “If people lose funds in one exploit, they may never return to crypto,” she said.

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Meanwhile, Pauline predicted the industry will shift toward “CeDeFi,” or centralized-decentralized finance. This hybrid model will allow on-chain trading and wallet access alongside conventional oversight to prevent failures.

“In this model, somebody is watching over the protocol, making sure that if anything breaks, they can stop it and save user funds,” she explained. Interestingly, Pauline compared the change to the difference between Android and iPhone.

Pauline backed up her argument with concrete examples from ChangeNOW’s own history. The platform’s risk system has successfully intervened to freeze millions of dollars in stolen funds.

For instance, in 2023, ChangeNOW’s risk system blocked suspicious ALGO and USDC transactions worth $1.5 million. Pauline said this proves that crypto platforms can act responsibly when user safety is at risk.

“These actions show that platforms can prioritize people over profit while staying transparent,” she told CoinEdition.

Pauline’s comments at CoinFest Asia highlight the importance of security in pushing crypto adoption. While decentralization remains the foundation of the industry, she believes safety will build trust at scale.