Degree Date

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

DBA Doctorate in Business Administration

Academic Discipline

Business Administration

First Advisor

Marguerite Chabau, Ph.D.

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was the limited mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies for daily retail transactions despite continued technological advancement and increasing institutional interest. The purpose of this qualitative study, grounded in Husserlian descriptive phenomenology, was to explore the perceptual and behavioral factors influencing this adoption gap. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling, resulting in eight participants divided into two cohorts: active cryptocurrency payment users (Cohort 1, n = 2) and cryptocurrency holders who did not use cryptocurrencies for payments (Cohort 2, n = 6). Data were analyzed using the Moustakas phenomenological approach to identify patterns in participant experiences. The analysis revealed six primary phenomena: the asset–currency conflict driven by anticipatory regret, anxiety surrounding transaction irreversibility, operational friction causing social hesitation at points of sale, price volatility triggering valuation anxiety, contextual utility favoring cross-border settlements over domestic retail transactions, and conditional viability influenced by generational drift. Findings indicated that barriers to cryptocurrency payment adoption were primarily behavioral and sociological rather than technological, with trust limitations, cognitive load, and volatility identified as key deterrents to everyday transactional use. However, participants identified cross-border payment efficiency and long-term generational shifts as potential pathways for broader adoption. Recommendations for future research include conducting quantitative studies to test the generalizability of these findings across broader demographic populations, examining international consumer perspectives, and investigating the impact of stablecoins and enhanced consumer protection mechanisms on reducing perceived risk.

View Full Text

Share

COinS