The proliferation of cryptocurrencies has been slow and steady over the past decade, but the industry has already made the traditional financial landscape aware of itself. Nevertheless, “the new” still has to plug in and be compatible with “the old.” In order to create accessibility for new users, cryptocurrency exchanges have to create fiat gateways to their platforms, which requires building relationships and compatibility with the traditional financial system.

Kraken offered its take on the intersection of cryptocurrency and traditional banking, conceding that the relationship between the two is important to drive adoption of the former. Nevertheless, the apathy of some banking institutions and the difficulty of interfacing and working with such organizations is still a challenge, as it’s “time-consuming to come to terms with these partners,” the company stated, adding:

“Despite the presence of many forward-looking banks, many others are extremely (and unnecessarily) risk-averse when it comes to crypto. This is unfortunate because they are depriving their clients of opportunities to engage with and benefit from this new and exciting opportunity.”