EY: Wallets are evolving from crypto tools into financial gateways, replacing bank accounts in controlling customer relationships.

PANews reported on February 7th, citing CoinDesk, that Ernst & Young (EY), one of the Big Four accounting firms, stated that wallets are evolving from crypto tools into a core entry point for the next generation of financial systems. EY noted that "wallets themselves are a strategy; whoever controls the wallet controls customer relationships." Analyst Mark Nichols pointed out that wallets will become a key infrastructure for storing, transferring, and managing tokenized assets. In the future, they will not only be applicable to crypto assets but will also cover on-chain financial scenarios such as payments, stablecoins, and private lending, becoming a unified entry point connecting all on-chain financial activities, including payments, tokenized assets, and stablecoins. However, EY predicts that self-custodied wallets will be difficult to become mainstream, and the future market will be dominated by trusted wallet service providers such as banks, fintech companies, and professional custody institutions.