Ipsos Study: Only 4% of Americans Trust Crypto Exchanges

Only 4% of US residents expressed full or high trust in cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a study by Ipsos commissioned by the DeFi Education Fund. In comparison, credit unions are trusted by 48% of respondents, large national banks by 42%, and regional and local banks by 41%.

Cryptocurrencies have yet to turn familiarity into consistent use. The share of Americans who have ever owned digital assets or conducted transactions rose from 18% in 2025 to 22% in 2026. However, the share of those who used cryptocurrencies in the past 12 months remained at 13%. Among those who did not operate them in the past year, the share of people with experience owning or using cryptocurrencies increased from 5% to 11%. The main reason for getting acquainted with cryptocurrencies was curiosity, cited by 34% of respondents who have ever used digital assets. Long-term investments were indicated by 25%, short-term by 18%, and purchases and payments by only 8%.

Interest in alternative financial instruments remains. About 74% of Americans consider financial privacy important, and 63% believe that the US financial system needs to be modernized to counter new threats, including cybercrime and AI. However, only 9% stated they are well acquainted with cryptocurrencies, and only 2% with decentralized finance. Nevertheless, 40% of respondents indicated they might try DeFi services. The Ipsos survey was conducted from September 8 to 16, 2026, among 1,545 adult US residents. The margin of error for the entire sample is ±2.8 percentage points.