Key Takeaways
- WalletConnect has evolved from a simple app-wallet connector into the de facto connectivity layer for Web3.
- It links 700+ wallets with over 80,000 applications, and its WalletConnect Pay product is making stablecoin payments accessible to everyday users and businesses.
- In five years, WalletConnect expects a spectrum of wallets tailored to use cases, from one-tap daily spending to multi-signature savings, with self-custody coexisting alongside institutional custodial options.
- True interoperability starts at the user level: single balances and seamless spending, even if underlying chains still require bridges behind the scenes.
As crypto pushes toward real-world utility, the barriers to entry, such as clunky wallet connections, multi-chain complexity, and intimidating jargon, are finally nearing an end.
In an exclusive interview with CCN’s Giuseppe Fabio Ciccomascolo, Jess Houlgrave, CEO of WalletConnect, shared how the company started as a simple protocol for linking wallets to apps and has grown into the communications backbone of Web3.
From Protocol to Connectivity Layer
WalletConnect didn’t begin with grand ambitions of becoming Web3’s financial plumbing.
“We started as a simple protocol to connect apps and wallets,” Houlgrave explained.
Think of it as the secure bridge that lets a user’s crypto wallet interact with a DeFi protocol, NFT marketplace, or game without manually copying addresses or risking errors.
Today, that simple idea has scaled dramatically. The network now connects more than 700 wallets to over 80,000 applications and works seamlessly across all major blockchains.
Houlgrave views it as “the connectivity layer or the communications layer,” passing messages between the two sides, whether an app is requesting a transaction signature or a wallet is confirming a payment.
This infrastructure isn’t just convenient; it’s essential. Without it, users face the friction that kills adoption: typing long addresses, selecting the wrong chains, or losing funds to simple mistakes.
“If you have to construct every transaction by typing in addresses… people don’t complete transactions,” she noted.
By handling the heavy lifting behind the scenes, WalletConnect has become a crucial enabler for everyday crypto use.
With stablecoins gaining traction as everyday money and institutions entering the space, Houlgrave believes the next wave of adoption will come from making crypto feel as intuitive as traditional finance, without sacrificing self-custody or security.
The company has also expanded beyond core connectivity. It now offers toolkits for wallet and app developers, as well as dedicated products like WalletConnect Pay, aimed squarely at payments companies.
“Stablecoins and crypto more broadly [are] obviously gonna be a core part of the world’s financial infrastructure,” Houlgrave said.
The Two-Part Vision: Trust and Security
WalletConnect may operate mostly behind the scenes, but businesses choose it as infrastructure, and it’s also building consumer brand recognition.
Houlgrave’s twofold vision for the next chapter is clear, remain the predominant infrastructure layer for secure app-wallet communication while embedding enough built-in security that the brand itself signals safety.
“When they see the Wallet Connect brand, they feel trust… they’re not going to have that wallet drained or be subject to some other kind of scam,” she explained.
The crypto ecosystem is inherently complex—hundreds of chains, varying token standards, gas fees, seed phrases, and more.
Houlgrave sees WalletConnect’s job as hiding all that.
“We really view it as our job to try and make that as easy as possible for people who just want an end result.”
For payments companies, that means accepting crypto without worrying about the underlying mechanics.
For end users, it means simply holding, buying, selling, and spending assets.
She recalled how, just a few years ago, she wouldn’t have recommended a crypto wallet to her own mother, but it has changed dramatically now:
“She could have a crypto wallet because she could use one of these new neo-banks with social recovery [and] passkeys… It wouldn’t use complex jargon… it would just look like a US dollar balance.”
Institutions, Regulations, and Interoperability
As traditional finance creeps into crypto, Houlgrave sees a spectrum of wallets emerging: bank-issued custodial options alongside self-custodial ones. While not everyone cares about self-custody, it must remain viable within regulated systems.
WalletConnect itself isn’t directly regulated, but it builds tools that help partners comply—such as travel-rule data collection in WalletConnect Pay or message signing to prove wallet ownership under Europe’s MiCA rules.
“We give our payments companies the ability to collect travel rule information… whilst we aren’t regulated, the activity that we do… [helps] our partners.”
A “really bad outcome,” she warned, would be self-custody being squeezed out entirely. Instead, WalletConnect’s technology supports a world where both models thrive.
Houlgrave predicted that no single “one wallet fits all” solution—even for one person —exists:
“If I’m gonna just go to the coffee shop and buy a coffee… I want something that’s probably on my phone, has very low friction. Maybe it’s one click, or just tap to pay.”
Savings, however, demand more friction: multi-device signing, spending limits, or even requiring a family member’s approval for large transfers. Businesses will need yet another layer with policies and compliance baked in.
Crypto’s interoperability promise remains a work in progress. Every solved problem seems to create ten more, Houlgrave joked—but that’s what keeps the industry moving.
At the user level, it’s already happening: wallets can show a single USD balance even if multiple stablecoins sit on different chains behind the scenes. When you spend, the system intelligently routes from any balance. “That’s kind of interoperability… from the perspective of the end user.”
True chain-to-chain communication is still maturing, but Houlgrave is optimistic. “Do I think that the state of chains as it is today is the end state? Absolutely not.”
Over the next decade, better infrastructure will emerge, and Houlgrave believes the real win will come when fragmentation disappears for the average user.
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Prashant Jha is a seasoned crypto journalist based in Delhi, India, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering. Passionate about the evolving world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, he has been a dedicated voice in the industry since 2018. Prashant’s expertise lies in regulatory reporting, where he unravels complex legal and financial developments with clarity and precision. Before joining CCN in 2024, he honed his craft at Cointelegraph, establishing himself as a trusted name in crypto journalism.
His coverage spans major industry events, including the high-profile collapses of FTX, Three Arrows Capital (3AC), and LUNA, offering readers insightful analyses of their regulatory and market implications. Prashant’s technical background enables him to bridge the gap between intricate blockchain technology and its real-world applications, making his work accessible to novices and experts.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Prashant is an avid music enthusiast, often exploring diverse genres to unwind. A sports lover, he has a particular passion for cricket and frequently engages in discussions about the game. His multifaceted interests and sharp journalistic instincts make him a valuable contributor to CCN, where he continues shaping the crypto landscape's narrative.
Giuseppe Ciccomascolo began his career as an investigative journalist in Italy, where he contributed to both local and national newspapers, focusing on various financial sectors.
Upon relocating to London, he worked as an analyst for Fitch's CapitalStructure and later as a Senior Reporter for Alliance News. In 2017, Giuseppe transitioned to covering cryptocurrency-related news, producing documentaries and articles on Bitcoin and other emerging digital currencies. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the academy for a cryptocurrency exchange website. Crypto remained his primary area of interest throughout his tenure as a writer for ThirdFloor.
