Survey Shows More Americans Tried Crypto But Few Remain Active

A national survey conducted by Ipsos for the DeFi Education Fund shows that while more Americans have tried cryptocurrency, long-term retention remains limited, according to Decrypt. The survey found that 22% of U.S. adults have ever owned or used crypto, rising from 18% in 2025. However, past-year usage held flat at 13%, with growth coming almost entirely from lapsed users.

Demographics and Motivations

The survey data reveals distinct demographic divides in digital asset adoption. Men were more than twice as likely as women to have used crypto in the past year, recording 18% compared to 8% for women. Adults under the age of 60 also showed significantly higher usage rates than older Americans. Curiosity was cited as the primary reason for trying crypto by 34% of past owners, followed by long-term investment at 25%.

Traditional Finance Skepticism and Knowledge Gaps

Respondents expressed widespread unease regarding the traditional financial system, with only 19% stating it is secure and 63% calling for upgrades to combat cybercrime and artificial intelligence threats. Despite this skepticism, trust in crypto remains low, with just 4% reporting high trust in crypto exchanges and 5% in decentralized platforms. Meanwhile, national banks and credit unions scored significantly higher at 42% and 48% respectively.

The findings also highlight a substantial knowledge gap in decentralized finance, or DeFi. Only 2% of Americans reported being very familiar with DeFi, and 35% were unsure how to describe cryptocurrency altogether. Nevertheless, 40% indicated they would be at least somewhat likely to try DeFi if available, primarily to save money, earn interest, or send funds to family and friends.

Key facts

• Exactly 22% of U.S. adults have ever owned or used crypto, up from 18%.
• Past-year crypto usage held flat at 13% according to the survey data.
• The survey polled 1,545 adults from Sept. 8 to 16 on Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
• Only 2% of Americans are very familiar with decentralized finance.
• Just 4% of respondents reported high trust in crypto exchanges.