Cryptocurrency? It will never catch on. Yes, I heard that phrase being uttered when Bitcoin first roared into being. January 2009 saw the first release of what was to become the synonymous cryptocurrency, namely Bitcoin. Since then, others have appeared, and the era of digital currencies has well and truly burgeoned. Whether it is the lurch of governments around the globe to introduce and regulate central digital currencies or the privately owned versions, this, it would appear, was no fad.

With the advancing of the years, so much more has become known about cryptocurrencies, and the information is so much more accessible. From government information as they openly discuss the concept of CBD, the central bank digital currency to online tutorials such as Gubba TV talks about Bitcoin, information is everywhere, ubiquitous. Anyone who wants to know about, invest in, or even use cryptocurrencies for transactions, can now do so.

But since the 2009 genesis of Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies have endured and enjoyed a roller coaster ride of an existence.

Buoyed by the markets but challenged by the inevitable vicissitudes of fiscal up and downturns, what started as a niche currency often bought and sold by wealthy investors of those in the know, it was somewhat esoteric at first. Not now, though. So how has the advancement in technology, the exponential expansion of digital banking transactions and online global finance been a part of this cryptocurrency story? At the very least, it has played a significant role, so let’s look a little more closely at why and how.

Online Banking, Global Finance: A Fertile Landscape for Cryptocurrencies

Gone are the days when all our banking was done across a counter, face to face. Even ATMs are less used than ever, as cashless becomes enthroned as king, and contactless becomes its loyal companion. With this switch in spending methods and the unrelenting charge towards cashless trade, governments around the world are now turning their attention to the previously unheard of, regulated digital currencies as mainstream money. The more countries that go down that road, the more cryptocurrencies will become commonplace.

With so many discussions, debated, discourses and even disagreements about how global transactions are made and how money is traded, cryptocurrencies now have a seat at the table, so to say. As Bitcoin trading and transactions are now being used and accepted for everything from coffee to real estate, the landscape for the long-awaited and often promised mainstream digital currency may be shortening. In fact, it would be hard to deny how positive this trajectory looks.

But just how long will this mainstream status take to achieve, and are early adopters’ trailblazers of speculators? It’s a tough one to answer. That said, online banking and digital global transactions are more universal than could have been predicted, so maybe Bitcoin and the others in the cryptocurrency stables have a realistic optimism. From a much-maligned Bitcoin that was seen as a geek and trading floor fad to real world application and global trading and transactions, the landscape has evolved propitiously.

Marketing For the Mainstream: What Is the Cryptocurrency Strategy?

As with any product, marketing can make or break it. Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies in general are no different. Taking the admittedly already growing digital currencies into the upper echelons, reaching the promised land of genuine mainstream usage could be down to both marketing as well as the markets. According to figures released around March 2023, there are over twenty thousand cryptocurrencies in existence. If nothing else, this profusion of payment options shows that there must be a market for digital currencies. And governments and businesses alike are aware of this.

Ultimately, as our article headline alludes, tech could well hold the key. With mobile devices used by billions, daily online and cashless transactions in the trillions, perhaps it is inevitable that cryptocurrencies will move from the minority to the mainstream? For my part, I would suggest that slow progress though it may have been thus far, the more people learn about Bitcoin and others, the more likely they will be to eventually embrace this new payment and currency world.

So, with privately owned cryptocurrencies marketing to the masses and striving for mainstream positioning, things are looking up. Even governments are accepting this inevitability, as they make overtures to creating their own central, and central bank regulated digital pounds, dollars, pesos, euros and krona. History shows that where private financiers go, governments often follow. There is no reason to believe that this leader-followed situation will not occur in the cryptocurrency arena too. If only we had a crystal ball. If only we could predict the markets with absolute accuracy. But we don’t and we can’t, so it is left to us to enter the hazy realms of speculation. One thing I would put my money on. The world of tech holds one of the pathways to mainstream cryptocurrency adoption.