Opinion: Ilya Tarutov, founder of Tramplin

Crypto has not had problems due to flaws in the technology. Instead, it has broken down as a result of the incentive structures created by the industry that have quietly transformed it into something that works against the very people it was intended to serve.

Since 2017, every cryptocurrency market cycle has been the same pattern. Each cycle began with excitement, followed by an influx of retail buyers, a speed trap and catastrophic declines, and ended with an erosion of trust that takes months, if not years, to rebuild. Every cycle it starts optimism, reaches the peak of overconfidence and ends in panic and despair.

In most cases, cryptocurrency users are quick to blame market conditions, macro difficulties, and regulations. Yes, these are significant factors. What really determines results, cycle by cycle, is how incentives are designed.

Crypto is losing everyday users as the system silently pushes them to take the biggest risks. This starts with psychology: investors often adopt the mindset that “the higher the desired return, the greater the risk required.”

A tiny chip balance earning just a fraction of a percent through staking doesn’t feel like real progress. Yes, the staking market has crossed $245 billionbut platforms typically offer 2-10% APR, which on a balance of several thousand dollars or less can result in an annual profit of less than $100.

Meanwhile, take derivative platforms. They provide their users with sophisticated, highly leveraged trading opportunities and processed a record trading volume of $85.7 trillion in 2025.

“Just the stake” is no longer enough

Native staking is straightforward and relatively secure; the rewards come directly from the network itself. Staking alone does not solve the deeper problem. Platforms built around it continue to promote speculation, high leverage, FOMO-based trading, and risky looping strategies.

Retail investors need a way to participate without constantly exposing themselves to risk or serving as exit liquidity for faster, better-informed market participants.

Related: The hybrid governance program gives token holders a voice on this platform

What is the solution? Creating a savings product whose main design goal is capital protection.

The concept of a “savings layer”.

The cryptocurrency savings layer must be built around a clear set of rules. These rules are non-negotiable because they have a huge, positive impact on user behavior. Examples of this include capital protection, full transparency, and rewards for discipline over speed or speculation. The savings layer should work equally well for a balance of 10 USDT (USDT) as it does for a balance of 100,000 USDT.

The “real” world already offers products designed for trust and capital preservation, not speculation.

Consider UK premium bonds. They do not promise high, constant profits. Their job is to protect your capital while giving you a chance to win rewards.

According to NS&I, In 2025, 71,722,056 prizes were paid out, worth a total of £4.95 billion ($6.6 billion), with over 470,000 recent accounts opened and eligible premium bonds increasing to £134.6 billion.

Yes, this is not a blockchain product. This is a well-designed savings program. The lesson is still straightforward: there is a reason to participate, you understand how it works, and your money stays secure.

In the US, savings tied to rewards gained traction for similar reasons. This type of motivational layer makes it easier for people to build consistent saving habits.

The mechanics of the “savings layer concept” in cryptography must be straightforward enough to be explained in one or two sentences.

If a person can’t easily explain to their friends where the rewards come from, the design isn’t crystal clear enough. Whether rewards are generated from crystal clear sources or from a clearly defined case-based model, the system must be truthful about what it can and cannot offer people.

The most significant aspect is that incentives must work even with tiny balances. The system must reward consistency over speed and discipline over speculation, so that staying committed matters more than getting started early.

Equally significant is what the system should not do. Risk of destruction should not be the default option as the goal is to minimize losses, maintain user profits and encourage long-term participation.

That’s what a savings tier means: a system designed to facilitate regular users stay in the game, not one that quietly pushes them out.

Rewriting the system

If the next cycle doesn’t introduce ways to protect everyday users, they will continue to see cryptocurrencies as a story that always ends the same way: large hype, large promises, and painful failures.

What needs to change is not the technology, but how to optimize it. Products must be built to reduce losses, not maximize turnover. These changes need to happen now unless industry players want to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

The future of Crypto comes down to one choice: protect everyday users or continue to optimize for short-term profits. Only one of them leads to a place worth going to.

Opinion: Ilya Tarutov, founder of Tramplin.