A new survey reveals that while more Americans have tried cryptocurrency, the number actively using it remains unchanged, highlighting trust and knowledge gaps.
Rising Interest but Stagnant Usage
A recent survey indicates a growing number of Americans have experimented with cryptocurrency, yet actual usage has remained stagnant. According to a national poll conducted by Ipsos for the DeFi Education Fund, 22% of U.S. adults report having owned or used crypto at some point, an increase from 18% in 2025. However, the percentage of those utilizing crypto in the past year has not changed, standing at 13%.
Shift in User Demographics
The increase in crypto ownership primarily stems from individuals who had previously abandoned it. Among those who hadn’t engaged with crypto in the past year, the proportion that has ever owned it surged from 5% to 11%. Future interest in crypto appears flat, with 17% of respondents indicating they are likely to use it moving forward, slightly up from 16% last year.
Notably, men are significantly more likely than women to have used crypto recently, with 18% of men versus 8% of women reporting recent engagement. Younger adults, particularly those under 60, are also more inclined to use cryptocurrency.
Concerns Over Financial Security
Despite the uptick in interest, many Americans express skepticism about the traditional financial system. Only 19% believe it is secure, and 63% feel it requires modernization to address emerging threats such as cybercrime and artificial intelligence. Concerns about data breaches are prevalent, with 60% of respondents worried about the vulnerability of major financial institutions.
Trust Issues in Crypto
This skepticism does not extend trust to cryptocurrency platforms. Merely 4% of respondents expressed high trust in crypto exchanges, while confidence in decentralized platforms is slightly higher at 5%. In comparison, 42% trust large national banks, and credit unions top the list at 48% despite a 5-point decline from the previous year.
Knowledge Gap in Crypto and DeFi
The survey also highlights a significant knowledge gap regarding decentralized finance (DeFi). Only 2% of Americans consider themselves very familiar with DeFi, which enables users to manage digital assets without intermediaries. Furthermore, 35% of respondents struggled to define cryptocurrency clearly, while 40% showed interest in trying DeFi if accessible, primarily for saving money or sending funds to family.
Despite the potential for growth, interest in learning about stablecoins has decreased, dropping from 11% to 7%, and knowledge about DeFi also fell from 11% to 8% following the introduction of federal regulations for stablecoins under the GENIUS Act.
