{"id":12579,"date":"2025-10-04T16:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T16:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/legacy-brands-hold-the-key-to-web3s-next-adoption-wave-opinion\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T16:33:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T16:33:13","slug":"legacy-brands-hold-the-key-to-web3s-next-adoption-wave-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/legacy-brands-hold-the-key-to-web3s-next-adoption-wave-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Legacy brands hold the key to web3\u2019s next adoption wave | Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-detail__content blocks\">\n<div class=\"cn-block-disclaimer\">\n<div class=\"cn-block-disclaimer__icon\">\n            <svg class=\"icon icon-info\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#icon-info\"><\/use> <\/svg>        <\/div>\n<p class=\"cn-block-disclaimer__content\">\n            Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news\u2019 editorial.        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .cn-block-disclaimer --><\/p>\n<p>Web3 has had its booms. DeFi summer pulled billions into new protocols. NFTs turned avatars and collectibles into cultural phenomena. Millions opened wallets, experimented with dapps, and speculated on a future built on-chain. But after those surges, adoption slowed. Exchange collapses, speculative excess, and unclear regulation pushed many retail users away. Institutions have continued to build \u2014 ETFs, custody solutions, corporate treasuries \u2014 but the average consumer hasn\u2019t come back in force.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"cn-block-summary-block_29f551cadfb6fba8c346fbb127ea58aa\" class=\"cn-block-summary\">\n<div class=\"cn-block-summary__nav tabs\">\n        <span class=\"tabs__item is-selected\">Summary<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"cn-block-summary__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Speculation brought early adopters, but mass adoption requires cultural relevance \u2014 products must connect to people\u2019s passions like music, fashion, and community.<\/li>\n<li>Legacy brands (Adidas, Gucci, Breitling, Nike, etc.) are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap, using their trust and cultural capital to make web3 feel safe and meaningful.<\/li>\n<li>Tokens unlock ownership and utility beyond loyalty programs \u2014 granting access to events, merchandise, and fan communities, with authenticity and portability guaranteed by blockchain.<\/li>\n<li>The next wave of adoption will be driven by here culture meets technology: trusted brands turning digital assets into experiences people actually want.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- .cn-block-summary --><\/p>\n<p>The missing piece is cultural relevance. Most projects still don\u2019t give everyday people a reason to care. Until there are products that connect directly with people\u2019s passions, web3 will remain a niche technology for insiders rather than a mainstream system for billions.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Speculation isn\u2019t enough<\/h2>\n<p>Speculation excites early adopters and those in the know, but long-term adoption requires something deeper: cultural connection. The average person won\u2019t gamble, but will engage when digital assets tie into the entertainment, community, and culture they already value. Startups often pitch jargon that doesn\u2019t translate well to daily life: \u201ca decentralized future,\u201d or \u201cprogrammable money.\u201d Without cultural hooks, these platitudes mean nothing. It is not enough to argue that blockchain is faster or more transparent. Consumers must feel a direct benefit in their lives, whether that means easier access to concerts, verifiable ownership of collectibles, or exclusive interaction with communities they admire.<\/p>\n<p>This pattern isn\u2019t new. Every technological wave needed established players to normalize it for the public. The internet became mainstream when companies like AOL and Yahoo packaged it into accessible products. Streaming shifted from niche to default once media giants brought their catalogs online.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The same dynamic will apply to web3 \u2014 with legacy brands perfectly positioned to bridge the gap.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why legacy brands matter<\/h2>\n<p>Legacy brands hold what newcomers lack: decades of cultural capital, pre-built reputations, and communities that span generations. Examples are already aplenty in web3. Adidas <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.voguebusiness.com\/technology\/adidas-reveals-new-nft-project-with-bored-ape-yacht-club\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">partnered<\/a> with web3-native projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club and Gmoney to release tokenized wearables and experiences. Gucci <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.voguebusiness.com\/technology\/gucci-takes-the-leap-will-accept-crypto-in-us-stores\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">accepted<\/a> payments through crypto wallets and released blockchain-based collaborations that gave collectors digital and physical crossover value. Breitling issued blockchain-backed digital passports for its watches, letting buyers verify provenance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Each case shows how quickly mainstream audiences engage when the digital asset has a clear real-world meaning. These initiatives highlight a key principle: people do not need to understand blockchains to participate in them. They only need to recognize that a trusted brand is offering something valuable, scarce, and secure.<\/p>\n<p>Equally important is that legacy brands carry trust. After years of exchange collapses and rug pulls, many consumers hesitate to touch web3 products. A Nike or Disney experiment reassures people in a way a startup cannot, because reputations built over decades are at stake. For hesitant newcomers, a brand they already know lowers perceived risk and makes engaging with digital ownership feel safe rather than speculative. Trust, as much as culture, is a prerequisite for broad participation.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ownership and utility beyond loyalty<\/h2>\n<p>Web3 add-ons are new forms of ownership and access for these cultural heavyweights. A tokenized membership can function as an all-access pass to a fan ecosystem: granting concert entry, unlocking merchandise, or connecting collectors in private communities. Unlike traditional loyalty programs, these assets are transferable, provable, and portable across platforms. Ownership becomes something users can hold, trade, or build upon.<\/p>\n<p>The next adoption wave will be driven by tokens as gateways to experiences. Event access, merchandise, gamified rewards, and fan memberships are areas where cultural brands can lead.\u00a0 Instead of asking \u201cwhat\u2019s this token worth tomorrow?\u201d the question becomes \u201cwhat does it let me do today?\u201d For brands, it builds loyalty, fosters two-way engagement, and turns consumers into participants. Blockchain ensures scarcity and authenticity in ways that feel intuitive: if you own the token, you own the experience, and no one can fake it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A cultural bridge to the future<\/h2>\n<p>This cultural pivot is happening alongside institutional progress. Regulators in Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. are clarifying the rules of the road. Global financial firms are rolling out custody, tokenization platforms, and on-chain settlement rails. Together, these moves build trust and infrastructure \u2014 but they don\u2019t automatically bring in people. Without cultural resonance, web3 risks becoming a system designed for traders and institutions, not the public.<\/p>\n<p>Legacy brands will bridge the gap, with the opportunity to introduce blockchain to millions who would never read a white paper but will eagerly claim a token if it connects to a favorite brand, community, or cultural experience. Web3\u2019s future won\u2019t be defined by startups or institutions. It will be shaped at the intersection of culture and technology. Legacy brands sit squarely at that intersection. They carry credibility with mainstream audiences and can translate blockchain utility into experiences that matter. If they step into web3 with clear utility and authentic experiences, they will drive the next adoption wave.<\/p>\n<p>If speculation defined the first wave and institutions are building the rails for the second, legacy brands will define the third \u2014 where culture meets utility, and web3 finally goes mainstream.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- .cn-block-related-link --><\/p>\n<div class=\"cn-block-author author-card\">\n<div class=\"author-card__photo\"><\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-card__photo --><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-card__content\">\n<div class=\"author-card__name\">\n                Evan Kuhn            <\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-card__name --><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-card__bio\">\n<p><b>Evan Kuhn<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the President of DeLorean Labs, the web3 innovation arm of the legendary DeLorean brand. A seasoned entrepreneur, he previously co-founded Coinberry, a Canadian crypto trading platform acquired by WonderFi for $38 million, cementing his reputation in the digital asset space. At DeLorean Labs, Evan leads groundbreaking projects like the $DMC token and a cutting-edge vehicle reservation and analytics system built on Sui. He\u2019s also forged key partnerships with Animoca Brands\u2019 Motorverse and Mysten Labs, driving the future of mobility at the crossroads of blockchain and automotive heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-card__bio --><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-card__social\">\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/evankuhn\/\" class=\"community-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" aria-label=\"Twitter\"><\/p>\n<p>    <svg class=\"community-link__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n        <use xlink:href=\"#icon-social-twitter\"><\/use>\n    <\/svg><\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-card__social --><\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-card__content --><\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- author-card --><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not represent the views and opinions of crypto.news\u2019 editorial. Web3 has had its booms. DeFi summer&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptocurrency"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12579"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12581,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12579\/revisions\/12581"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitunikey.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}