One in Four U.S. Adults Now Use Cryptocurrency, New Survey Finds
The National Cryptocurrency Association published its 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report on May 13, finding that one in four U.S. adults now use or hold cryptocurrency. The Business Wire release places the adoption figure at 25% of the American adult population.
The report is among the broadest surveys of U.S. retail cryptocurrency behavior published this year, drawing on responses from holders and non-holders across income levels, age groups, and geographic regions.
What the Survey Found
The 25% figure represents a sharp increase from adoption rates measured in comparable surveys from 2022 and 2023, when independent polling consistently placed U.S. cryptocurrency ownership between 15% and 20% of adults. The NCA report identifies Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum as the two most widely held assets, with stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to a fixed reference value such as the U.S. dollar, emerging as a growing category among holders who use digital assets for payments rather than speculation.
The survey found that younger adults between 18 and 34 represent the highest concentration of active users, though adoption among adults over 50 grew faster in percentage terms between 2024 and 2026. Income correlation has weakened compared to earlier surveys, with middle-income households now accounting for a larger share of holders than in prior years.
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Background
The National Cryptocurrency Association is an industry advocacy group that promotes policy positions favorable to digital asset adoption and engages Congress and regulators on behalf of its member firms.
Its annual State of Crypto Holders Report has become a widely cited data point in legislative testimony and industry marketing, though as an advocacy-funded survey it should be read alongside independent polling. Prior NCA surveys, as well as Federal Reserve consumer finance studies, have tracked a consistent upward trend in U.S. cryptocurrency familiarity since 2020.
The acceleration in the 2026 figures aligns with a period of regulatory clarity gains, spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF approvals in early 2024, and rising asset prices that drew media attention and new entrants into the market.
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What It Means Going Forward
A 25% adult adoption rate, if confirmed by independent surveys, would place cryptocurrency use in the United States broadly in line with stock ownership among adults under 35, a threshold that historically correlates with political salience. The figures add weight to the NCA’s lobbying posture in Congress as the CLARITY Act and stablecoin legislation advance.
Whether the adoption rate translates into sustained transaction activity or remains concentrated in passive holding is a question the report does not fully answer, and it is one regulators are likely to examine as they draft usage-based rules.
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