DeFi trust trails banks as just 19% strongly endorse US financial security

A new Ipsos survey has found that only 19% of Americans strongly endorse the security of the US financial system, while just 5% express high trust in decentralized platforms.

Summary

• High trust in decentralized platforms stood at 5%, compared with 42% for large national banks.
• Lifetime crypto ownership or use reached 22%, while past-year participation remained unchanged at 13%.
• Financial privacy mattered to 74% of Americans, and 62% preferred keeping transaction-related personal information private.
• Saving money attracted 85% of respondents willing to try DeFi, compared with 24% for crypto lending or borrowing.

DeFi Education Foundation's national study, conducted through Ipsos KnowledgePanel, surveyed 1,545 US adults from Sep. 8--16, 2026. Using a probability-based sample weighted to the US adult population, Ipsos reported a margin of sampling error of 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

Its topline findings put complete or high trust in large national banks at 42%, regional or community banks at 41%, and credit unions at 48%.

The DEF team is excited to unveil new national, longitudinal research by @Ipsos on KnowledgePanel, digging into Americans' perspectives on the current state & future of finance, including their thoughts on frontier technologies.

Explore here: https://t.co/REzajo6g4B pic.twitter.com/DRb2EgOidG --- DeFi Education Fund (@fund_defi) October 27, 2026

DeFi trust remains below banks despite demand for control

In the survey's institutional trust question, 73% of respondents reported little or no trust in decentralized platforms that let users retain control of their funds. Another 19% expressed some trust, while the published combined figure for complete or high trust was 5%.

Only 2% described themselves as extremely or very familiar with DeFi in the Ipsos results, compared with 9% for crypto and 5% for stablecoins. The share unfamiliar or not very familiar with DeFi stood at 92%, unchanged from the August 2025 survey.

For banks, the results included substantial groups offering qualified trust. Ipsos recorded some trust in national banks among 36% of respondents and in regional or community banks among 38%. Little or no trust totaled 20% and 18%, respectively.

Asked about the financial services available to them, half of respondents said they were extremely or very satisfied, while 36% were moderately satisfied, according to the topline tables. The question included banks, investment services and payment apps.

The 19% security finding came from a question asking how well the statement "The current financial system in the United States is secure" represented respondents' views. Ipsos recorded 3% answering extremely well, 16% very well, and 47% somewhat well. Another 31% chose not too well or not well at all.

Crypto experience reaches 22%, while recent use stays flat

The foundation's research page puts the share of Americans who have ever owned or used crypto at 22%, up from 18% in 2025. In the underlying questionnaire, however, ownership or use during the preceding 12 months remained at 13% in both survey waves.

Ipsos recorded curiosity as a reason for owning or using crypto among 34% of respondents with crypto experience. A quarter cited long-term investing, 18% short-term investing, and 8% a purchase or payment. Respondents could select multiple reasons.

Earlier polling measured a different ownership category. In July 2025, crypto.news previously reported Gallup's finding that 14% of US adults owned cryptocurrency at the time of its survey. Gallup's June 2--15, 2025, poll asked about current ownership, while the new foundation headline figure includes former owners and people who have used crypto.

Gallup's original findings put prospective buyers at 4% of US adults, with 17% intrigued but not planning to buy soon and 60% expressing no interest in buying. Its report found that 35% said they knew something about cryptocurrency.

Financial privacy draws stronger support than DeFi familiarity

Privacy attracted support across several questions in the Ipsos study. Financial privacy was important to 74% of respondents, and 62% preferred keeping personal information private during financial transactions.

The research page's 80% figure for changes giving people more control over personal data combines different levels of agreement. In the topline questionnaire, 44% said the statement represented their views extremely well or very well, and 36% answered somewhat well.

Concern about emerging threats appeared in the same tables. Ipsos found that 63% strongly endorsed upgrading the financial system to address threats such as cybercrime or AI, while 54% expressed concern that financial institutions were inadequately prepared to protect personal information from AI-related threats.

Developers have introduced privacy features for existing DeFi applications. StarkWare announced Shadow Accounts on Starknet on Oct. 13, allowing application activity through addresses without publicly linking them to users' main wallets. The company said balances and transactions remained visible onchain.

DeFi interest reaches 40% after respondents review its features

Asked whether they would try DeFi if available, 40% of Ipsos respondents were at least somewhat likely to do so, including 10% who were extremely or very likely. The questionnaire placed this question after descriptions of DeFi features, including control of money and data, transaction access, and international transfers.

Among respondents at least somewhat likely to try it, 85% identified saving money as a potential use, 82% sending money to friends or family in the US, and 82% earning interest. Lending or borrowing crypto tokens attracted 24% of this group, according to Ipsos.

A subsequent question described proposed legislation requiring registration and disclosures from many crypto businesses and said consumers would receive more protection. After that description, 42% were at least somewhat likely to try DeFi, while the extremely or very likely share stayed at 10%.

In a separate policy question, Ipsos found that 35% considered it extremely or very important for candidates to encourage financial technology development in the US. Encouraging blockchain, crypto and DeFi specifically received that rating from 13%.

Outside the US, French authorities have proposed DeFi platform security obligations in response to the European Commission's MiCA consultation, covered on Oct. 21. Their recommendations would require intermediaries to assess protocols before offering access and monitor vulnerabilities afterward, with liability for certain failures involving inadequate checks or known risks.