Americans favor US fintech development, but crypto ranks lower in poll

Most Americans place at least some importance on political candidates supporting financial technology development in the United States, according to a DeFi Education Fund–Ipsos poll reported by Cointelegraph. The findings show a more limited constituency placing high importance on explicitly crypto-focused policies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The survey found that 72% considered encouraging the next generation of financial technology to be built domestically at least somewhat important. That total included 35% who rated the issue very or extremely important, alongside 37% who considered it somewhat important, according to Cointelegraph’s account of the results.

By comparison, 13% rated a candidate’s encouragement of blockchain, cryptocurrency and decentralized finance growth as very or extremely important. These figures measure the importance respondents assign to different policy priorities; they should not be interpreted as candidate vote shares or as evidence that everyone else opposes those technologies.

Ipsos conducted the study among 1,545 US adults through its probability-based KnowledgePanel from September 8 to 16, 2026. Its findings describe attitudes among adults rather than a forecast of turnout or voting behavior, a distinction that matters when considering their potential electoral significance.

Familiarity with digital assets remained limited in the survey. Cointelegraph reported that 9% expressed familiarity with crypto and 5% with stablecoins, while Ipsos said 13% had owned or used cryptocurrency during the preceding year, unchanged from 2025.

The broader research also documented concerns about existing financial services. According to Ipsos, 19% regarded the US financial system as secure, while 63% said it needed an upgrade to address threats including cybercrime and artificial intelligence. Those responses provide context for interest in financial modernization without establishing a preference for any particular technological solution.

Control over money was another theme in the findings. Ipsos reported that 66% wanted access to their money at all times, but only 49% felt they had personal control over their financial assets. The contrast suggests that dissatisfaction with current arrangements can coexist with limited engagement in alternatives.

The poll also offered little evidence of a strong partisan divide on the crypto-specific candidate question. Ipsos said 15% of Republicans and 13% of Democrats considered support for emerging technologies such as crypto and decentralized finance very or extremely important. Neither figure establishes whether the issue would outweigh other concerns in a voting decision.

As the midterm elections approach, the findings leave open how financial technology preferences will translate into ballots. Ipsos described crypto ownership and openness to decentralized finance as broadly consistent with 2025. For candidates and industry advocates, the survey points to a distinction worth watching: general encouragement of domestic innovation is not the same as prioritizing digital-asset policy.