Gnosis just dropped a quick recap of one of the most interesting panels at Devconnect — a fiery discussion on whether decentralized finance can actually go mainstream without forcing users to give up control of their assets.

The panel, titled Scaling DeFi Adoption & Ownership – Can we have both?, put three sharp minds on stage:

• Zachary Williamson from Aztec (privacy & ZK pioneer)
• Friederike Ernst from Gnosis (Safe, Gnosis Chain, CoW Swap)
• DC Builder from Worldcoin Foundation (human-proof identity)

The event was part of “Devconflict,” a side-event series that leans into the real disagreements in the ecosystem instead of sugar-coating them. Gnosis summed it up perfectly in their post-event tweet:

Devconflict 🔛 Scaling DeFi

Together, we can find answers to all questions, paving the way for both adoption and ownership for everyday users.

Big thanks to @kpk_io @safe @balancer @HypernativeLabs for an insightful day! 💫

The core tension everyone feels: normies want apps that “just work” (like Venmo or Robinhood), but the moment you hand over custody you’re no longer in DeFi — you’re just using a bank with extra steps. The panel tackled whether account abstraction, embedded wallets, ZK privacy layers, and verifiable identity can finally square that circle.

Why this matters for meme coin traders and degens
Meme season runs on instant, viral adoption — but it also runs on rugs, honeypots, and people losing keys. If the industry cracks seamless onboarding with real ownership, the next pump could actually stay in users’ own wallets instead of CEXs or shady contracts. Tools coming out of Safe, Aztec, and even Worldcoin’s proof-of-personhood could make fair launches and community takeovers safer and smoother than ever.

No recording has surfaced yet, but the photos alone show the room was packed and the vibe was energy high. Keep an eye on Gnosis and the panelists’ accounts — when the talks drop, the meme ecosystem will want to hear how these ideas translate to faster, safer, and actually decentralized trading.

Original thread here.