A new survey found that support for financial innovation in general runs higher than support for crypto specifically, and that trust in decentralized platforms trails behind. The finding adds to a growing body of polling pointing the same way: consumers are open to new ways of handling money, but they want a familiar, regulated name standing behind them.
The numbers behind the trust gap
A CoinDesk-commissioned poll from May 2026 found that 65% of US voters trust banks more than crypto when it comes to financial inclusion, while only 5% picked crypto. The same survey found that 60% of respondents see crypto as a mostly negative force on the economy.
An October 2026 survey by the American Bankers Association and Morning Consult found that 44% of adults prefer banks for fraud protection. Crypto companies were favored by just 1%.
A Harris Poll conducted for the National Cryptocurrency Association that same month found that 42% of respondents would be more likely to use a bank that offers crypto services — approximately 112 million people, according to the poll. The same poll identified a communication gap: 64% said their bank or financial advisor had never brought up crypto with them at all.
Frustrated with banks, but not ready to leave
A 2025 Ipsos poll conducted with the DeFi Education Fund found that only 49% felt the current financial system met their needs, while 56% want full personal control over their finances. The same poll found that just 18% of Americans have owned or used crypto.
A 2026 Visa survey found that willingness to adopt crypto services climbed from 36% to 56% once bank-level protections were included.
What the polling means for adoption
Standalone crypto platforms trying to win customers head-on against banks face a steep climb, given the 1% fraud-trust figure and the 5% financial-inclusion figure.
If 42% of respondents would lean toward banks offering crypto, and willingness rises when protections are attached, banks may end up as the main on-ramp for the next wave of users.
For banks, the 64% figure reads as a missed opportunity. A large share of customers say they have never heard their bank or advisor mention crypto, even as a sizable group says crypto services would make them more likely to stay.
For crypto-native firms, the Visa data may be the most instructive. If protections similar to those offered by banks can move willingness from 36% to 56%, the product question becomes less about features and more about insurance, recourse and accountability.
For investors, the polling suggests broad retail adoption may depend less on new token launches and more on how quickly traditional institutions integrate crypto access. The 60% who view crypto as an economic negative represent a sentiment headwind that marketing alone is unlikely to fix.
