One in Four U.S. Adults Now Uses Cryptocurrency, Survey Finds

The National Cryptocurrency Association released its 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report on Wednesday, finding that one in four U.S. adults now uses cryptocurrency. The figure represents a meaningful increase from prior years and is drawn from a nationally representative survey of American adults conducted in early 2026.

The report identifies younger men and households earning above $75,000 per year as the groups with the highest adoption rates.

Key Findings From the Report

The survey, whose full findings were published via a Business Wire release, puts Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) as the most widely held assets among respondents. Stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a fixed value against a reference asset such as the U.S. dollar, rank third by usage frequency.

The report also found that 60% of current holders acquired their first cryptocurrency asset after 2022, suggesting that adoption is still in an early growth phase rather than a plateau.

The NCA is a U.S.-based nonprofit advocacy organization that represents individual cryptocurrency holders and promotes policy engagement with federal and state lawmakers.

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Background

U.S. cryptocurrency adoption has climbed sharply since the approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds in January 2024. Those products gave retail investors access to Bitcoin price exposure through standard brokerage accounts, lowering the barrier for first-time buyers.

Charles Schwab announced in May 2026 that it would open direct spot cryptocurrency trading to its retail client base, a move that analysts said could accelerate the adoption curve further. Prior NCA surveys from 2024 placed adult cryptocurrency usage at roughly 18%, making the jump to 25% a gain of approximately seven percentage points in two years.

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What Comes Next

The CLARITY Act, currently moving through the Senate Banking Committee, would establish clearer legal definitions for digital assets and could remove compliance friction that has slowed adoption among older and less financially sophisticated households.

If passed, observers expect the 25% figure to rise further by year-end. The NCA plans to release demographic breakdowns and state-level data from the same survey in the coming weeks.

Watch for the state-level data, as it will show which U.S. regions are leading adoption and which remain underserved.

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