Americans Are Turning to Crypto and DeFi as Trust in Banks Drops: Research

Banking's broken—and Americans are voting with their wallets.

Research confirms what crypto natives knew all along: traditional finance is bleeding trust while decentralized alternatives surge. People aren't just diversifying portfolios—they're abandoning a system that failed them.

DeFi doesn't ask for permission. It cuts out the middleman, bypasses legacy gatekeepers, and delivers financial sovereignty directly to users. No more waiting for bank hours. No more arbitrary freezes.

Wall Street's loss becomes Main Street's gain as yield farming and liquidity mining outperform savings accounts by orders of magnitude. Who needs 0.01% APY when decentralized protocols offer real returns?

Sure, regulators will fret about 'consumer protection' while simultaneously protecting banks from competition—because nothing says 'financial security' like bailing out institutions that gamble with customer deposits.

The revolution won't be televised. It'll be tokenized.

A new study by the Defi Education Fund, conducted with Ipsos, shows that many Americans are frustrated with traditional banks. People want full control over their money and the ability to transact directly with others without relying on the “middleman”.

At the same time, there is excitement about crypto and DeFi as tools that could make finance fairer, more affordable, and safer.

The research reveals that crypto is reaching a wide range of Americans.

Nearly 18% have owned or used crypto, and 22% are curious to learn more about nontraditional finance like blockchain, crypto, or DeFi. This interest reaches across all age groups, races, genders, and education levels.

1/ [NEW] DeFi Education Foundation is excited to debut a national study by @Ipsos KnowledgePanel and supplemented by in-depth interviews from the Bronx & Queens, NY, providing timely insights into how Americans view the U.S. financial system & emerging tech, like DeFi!pic.twitter.com/wYzcMGER2V

Rising Interest In DeFi 

Many Americans are curious about DeFi as it could offer better security and lower transaction fees

Around 42% said they WOULD try DeFi if new laws made it easier to access. 40% of Americans would likely try out DeFi and among these potential users, 84% would use DeFi for online purchases, 78% for paying bills, and 77% for saving money.

Despite this interest, only 12% said they are very or extremely interested in learning about DeFi. Almost 4 in 10 Americans believe DeFi could help reduce high transaction and service fees that are common in the current financial system.

Crypto Policy In Focus 

This comes as lawmakers and industry leaders are actively shaping crypto policy.

NEW: Following up on my tweet last night about the @BankingGOP roundtable that was held this morning. In addition to @IOHK_Charles, @Ripple and @a16z, I’m told representatives from @krakenfx, @coinbase, @multicoincap, @paradigm and @circle were also in attendance. Meeting… https://t.co/GZ80mVvPjK

Fox Journalist Eleanor Terrett shared that crypto leaders from IOHK, Ripple, a16z, Kraken, Coinbase, Multicoin, Paradigm, and Circle recently met to discuss the draft of a crypto market structure bill, at the Banking GOP roundtable.

The 90-minute meeting focused on refining the bill’s language.

Previously, at the June DeFi roundtable, SEC Chair Paul Atkins emphasized that blockchain and DeFi reflect American values like freedom and innovation. The SEC is also exploring an “innovation exemption” to help bring on-chain products to market expeditiously and support U.S. leadership in crypto.

Why Are Banks Losing Public Trust? 

The survey shows limited confidence in banks. Less than half of Americans feel the financial system meets their needs, and only 25% believe it is designed to benefit ordinary people. Trust in banks is low, with just 40% trusting large national banks and 43% trusting regional or community banks.

Americans want more control over their finances. About 56% want full control of their money, and over 51% want the ability to send money digitally without a third party. This desire is especially strong among foreign-born Americans.

Security is another major concern. Only 29% feel the U.S. financial system is secure, while 54% want complete control over their personal and financial data.