In 2023, one in five American adults owned digital assets—a group of about 52 million people, according to a Coinbase report Coinbase.
The cryptocurrency exchange also conducted a survey on attitudes toward the financial system. Nearly nine in ten (87%) Americans said changes were needed. Half of respondents (51%) believe the U.S. economic model is unfair.
63% of cryptocurrency holders agree that the system unfairly favours the interests of influential figures.
In Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, more than 40% of digital asset holders use them to transfer money abroad and to support family members.
Seventy-two percent of people aged 18 to 34 believe that “cryptocurrency gives people direct control over their money.” The same share of respondents agree that “digital assets are the future of finance.”
“As more and more elected officials in Congress push for legislation regulating cryptocurrency and promoting progress in the financial system, others simply prefer to defend the status quo. And in a democracy, the will of the people can foster progress,” analysts noted.
87% of Fortune 500 executives surveyed said that clear rules are necessary to sustain U.S. leadership in the global financial system, of whom 46% say regulatory ambiguity is a barrier to investment.
In September, ConsenSys found that 99% of Nigerians are aware of the existence of digital assets, surpassing the U.S. at 95%. Globally, 92% of people worldwide understand cryptocurrencies.
According to a Pew Research Center poll from April, two-thirds of Americans are distrustful of crypto assets due to the banking crisis and regulatory concerns.