Ipsos survey finds 19% endorse US financial security, 5% trust DeFi

Specifically, only 19% of Americans strongly affirmed the security of the nation's financial system, while trust in decentralized platforms registered even lower, at just 5%. This national assessment, executed via Ipsos KnowledgePanel by the DeFi Education Foundation, gathered responses from 1,545 US adults between September 8 and September 16, 2026. Ipsos reported a margin of sampling error of 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, utilizing a probability-based sample weighted to the US adult population.

The findings indicated that trust levels were distributed across various banking types: 42% placed complete or high trust in large national banks, 41% did so for regional or community banks, and 48% expressed such trust in credit unions. In the section concerning institutional trust, a substantial 73% of participants indicated they held little or no faith in decentralized platforms that allow users to maintain command over their assets. Furthermore, 19% reported some degree of trust, resulting in the published aggregate figure of 5% for complete or high trust.

Regarding technological familiarity, the Ipsos results showed that only 2% of respondents described themselves as extremely or very familiar with DeFi, contrasting with 9% for general crypto and 5% for stablecoins. The proportion of individuals unfamiliar or not very familiar with DeFi remained at 92%, a figure consistent with the survey conducted in August 2025. For traditional banks, the data revealed notable segments offering qualified trust; Ipsos noted some trust in national banks among 36% of respondents and in regional or community banks among 38%, while little or no trust accounted for 20% and 18%, respectively.

Concerning the financial services accessible to them, the topline tables revealed that half of the respondents reported being extremely or very satisfied, with an additional 36% being moderately satisfied. This inquiry encompassed banks, investment services, and payment applications. The 19% security metric stemmed from a question assessing how accurately the statement, “The current financial system in the United States is secure,” reflected the respondents' views. Ipsos data showed 3% answered extremely well, 16% very well, and 47% somewhat well; conversely, 31% selected not too well or not well at all.

The foundation’s research page documents that the percentage of Americans who have ever possessed or utilized crypto has risen to 22%, up from 18% in 2025. However, when examining ownership or usage within the preceding 12 months, the figure remained steady at 13% across both survey waves. Among those with crypto experience, 34% cited curiosity as a motivation for owning or using crypto, while a quarter cited long-term investing, 18% cited short-term investing, and 8% cited a purchase or payment; respondents were permitted to select multiple reasons. It is worth noting that earlier polling captured a different ownership scope; in July 2025, crypto.news reported Gallup’s finding that 14% of US adults owned cryptocurrency at that time. Gallup’s poll, conducted from June 2–15, 2025, specifically inquired about current ownership, whereas the new foundation headline figure incorporates former owners and those who have used crypto. Gallup’s initial report indicated that 4% of US adults were prospective buyers, while 17% were intrigued but not planning to purchase soon, and 60% showed no interest in buying. Furthermore, Gallup’s report established that 35% stated they possessed some knowledge about cryptocurrency.

Privacy concerns were a notable theme within the Ipsos study, with 74% finding financial privacy important, and 62% preferring to keep personal details confidential during financial transactions. The research page's 80% figure regarding changes offering greater control over personal data aggregates various levels of agreement. On the topline questionnaire, 44% indicated the statement represented their views extremely well or very well, and 36% responded somewhat well. Issues related to emerging threats appeared in parallel tables; Ipsos determined that 63% strongly supported enhancing the financial system to counter threats such as AI or cybercrime, while 54% voiced apprehension that financial institutions were insufficiently equipped to safeguard personal data against AI-related dangers.

Developers are actively implementing privacy enhancements within extant DeFi applications; StarkWare, for instance, announced Shadow Accounts on Starknet on October 13, enabling application activity through addresses without publicly linking them to users' primary wallets, though the company noted that balances and transactions would remain visible onchain. When asked about attempting DeFi if it became accessible, 40% of Ipsos participants expressed at least some likelihood of doing so, including 10% who were extremely or very likely. This question followed descriptions of DeFi features, such as data and monetary control, transaction access, and international transfers. Among those somewhat likely or more likely to try it, 85% identified saving money as a prospective application, 82% identified sending funds to relatives or friends within the US, and 82% identified earning interest; according to Ipsos, lending or borrowing crypto tokens attracted 24% of this cohort.

A subsequent query described proposed legislation mandating registration and disclosures from numerous crypto businesses, suggesting consumers would gain enhanced protection. Following this description, 42% were at least somewhat likely to try DeFi, while the extremely or very likely segment held steady at 10%. In a separate policy inquiry, Ipsos found that 35% considered it extremely or very important for candidates to promote financial technology advancement in the US, with encouraging blockchain, crypto, and DeFi specifically receiving that rating from 13%. Overseas, French authorities have put forth security mandates for DeFi platforms in response to the European Commission’s MiCA consultation, which was covered on October 21. These recommendations would necessitate intermediaries to vet protocols before granting access and to subsequently monitor for vulnerabilities, assigning liability for certain failures stemming from insufficient checks or known risks.

The data suggests a growing divergence in public trust between established, regulated financial entities and nascent decentralized protocols, even as awareness of digital assets increases among the populace. The noted interest in DeFi features, coupled with regulatory proposals from international bodies, indicates that market participants are actively assessing the operational and governance risks inherent in permissionless financial systems.

Why it matters

This data suggests a significant gap between public perception of traditional financial security and the adoption of decentralized finance. For DeFi to gain traction, overcoming this trust deficit and educating users on its security models is critical for protocol maturation.