Ethereum risks losing mass adoption due to poor messaging

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Mikhail Vnuchkov

03.08.2025

Ethereum risks losing mass adoption due to poor messaging — Ethereum needs storytelling, not just code, to scale impact

Ethereum is losing the narrative war to smaller blockchains, struggling to expand its message beyond developers. According to Pauline Shangett, Chief Strategy Officer at crypto exchange ChangeNOW, strategic communication is sometimes more crucial than technical upgrades.

Ethereum’s real-world impact is undeniable — enabling stable savings, freelance income, and humanitarian aid — but without effective storytelling, it remains invisible to the people who need it most.

“The people Ethereum serves best aren't on Discord. They’re crossing borders and enduring inflation, yet Ethereum communicates as if addressing a room full of protocol engineers — while the public is asking why gas costs more than groceries,” says Shangett.

She cites the example of The Merge, one of the biggest infrastructure upgrades in tech history.

“While Solana turned meme coins into a cultural movement, and Avalanche out-marketed Wall Street on partnerships, Ethereum explained the transition with an animated panda video. To anyone outside the bubble, it felt like cosplay.”

There was no front-page article explaining how Ethereum overnight became 99.95% more energy-efficient. No mass outreach to show ESG-focused investors that it had become the most climate-friendly money on the internet. Instead, the media stayed fixated on NFTs and energy FUD.

“To realize its full potential, Ethereum must scale belief — not just code. It must invest in media, human stories, and accessible narratives that resonate far beyond the crypto bubble,” says Shangett.

Among the impactful stories Ethereum should highlight:

- Nigerian freelancers getting paid in USDC on Ethereum when PayPal and Wise are blocked.

- Turkish households preserving their savings in Ethereum-based stablecoins during the lira’s collapse.

- Ukrainian DAOs raising funds for civilians and frontline medics during the war.

- Gazan journalists receiving donations through Ethereum wallets when traditional finance was cut off.

When PR matters more than the next upgrade

These real stories rarely get publicity. But the problem isn’t complex — Ethereum doesn’t need to convince the world of crypto ideology. It just needs to show that it works.

People should understand Ethereum is a neutral financial layer that doesn’t care about your passport. But for that, the ecosystem must stop acting like publishing a whitepaper is enough.

Ethereum must own its narrative — creating documentary-style content, working with storytellers who don’t code in Solidity, and showcasing developers in Manila and Nairobi, not just San Francisco.

As we wrote, 10 years of Ethereum: Achievements, challenges, and new horizons

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