Lauren Shepperson
Co-founder & chief marketing and communications officer at The Crypto Collective
What is the role of crypto education in your business? How do you approach it?
With increased regulatory pressure on countries such as the UK, many firms are taking the initiative to educate consumers who want to engage with crypto. However, this has not been the same for institutions looking to enter the market. The industry is vastly different in various jurisdictions, mainly due to the difference in levels of adoption and regulatory requirements.
Consequently, new players and crypto-native firms face a major challenge in navigating the industry. They need a deep understanding of market trends and individual regulatory environments. Most firms want to establish a unique brand identity and trusted executive profiles, but they must also be able to balance innovation with compliance, and The Crypto Collective was founded to address these needs.
We aim to simplify success in this complex industry through education. We support businesses confidently positioning themselves in the market, ensuring their messaging is effective and compliant. Unlike traditional consultancies, our approach is unique. We embed ourselves within our client’s in-house teams, acting as an extension of their operations. This close collaboration allows us to share knowledge more effectively, ensuring our clients gain the insights they need to achieve their objectives. Along with our core consultancy services, we offer formalised training such as media training and public speaking courses.
What trends are you seeing in crypto knowledge within the market? Has the market’s approach to education changed in recent years, and if so, what is driving this shift?
The need and desire for crypto education have certainly grown due to factors such as regulatory pressures, increased adoption, and the realisation that industry players need comprehensive knowledge to navigate the digital assets space. The market has also experienced many shocks in recent years. We have had to learn fast, and educational resources and their content focus have also had to evolve in light of this.
Regulators have also imposed educational requirements to ensure compliance and a perceived understanding of risk. Crypto investors want transparency and expect to have access to the right resources and information for decision-making. As the market matures, there is also a push for more formalised and comprehensive educational resources. However, I think it is important to differentiate between more information in the market and education — since the market is crowded with many distinct voices and avenues for educational content.
What could the industry improve regarding crypto education and knowledge dissemination?
I believe marketing and communication are critical in ensuring the industry's continued growth and acceptance. Some perceptions must be challenged, use cases unravelled, and new mediums of sharing knowledge tapped. Marketers and communication professionals within the industry must balance the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the new when engaging audiences on crypto. In such a complex market, it is important to be able to speak to a crypto-native audience without alienating those potentially taking their first step into the market.
Finally, collaboration is key when looking to evolve educational resources. Whether that is institutions partnering with industry players to reach a greater audience, or engaging the media to demystify the technical components, or partnering with established academic institutions for inclusion of investment and financial education on the curriculum.
