Roughly 30% of American adults now own cryptocurrency, representing about 70.4 million people, according to a new annual report from Security.org published in September 2026. That's a modest increase from 27% in 2024, continuing a recovery after the market tumbled during the so-called Crypto Winter. The report, based on a survey of 992 U.S. adults, finds that President Trump's pro-crypto policies and the approval of Bitcoin ETFs have helped push ownership back toward previous peaks, though it hasn't broken through the 33% high-water mark set in 2022.
The demographics of crypto owners skew toward middle-age earners, with one in three owners between 30 and 44 years old. Overall, roughly two-thirds of all crypto holders fall into the 30-59 age range, while just 17% are 60 or older. Men continue to outnumber women in ownership by about two to one. Bitcoin remains the dominant currency, held by 74% of crypto owners in 2026, unchanged from the previous year. Ethereum comes in second at 53%, followed by Dogecoin at 25% and Solana at 20%. Solana recorded the fastest two-year gain in popularity, jumping 9 percentage points since 2024. Among those who've ever owned crypto, 53% report net gains on their investments over time, while 21% experienced net losses. Looking ahead, 61% of current owners plan to buy more cryptocurrency in 2026, but only 6% of people who don't own any plan to enter the market this year.
The report finds that 52% of U.S. adults believe Trump's presidency has boosted cryptocurrency values, though it notes that "values did not increase in 2025 as much as experts had expected." Trump's first year back in office brought what the report calls "unprecedented federal support for digital assets," including the establishment of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the appointment of David Sacks as the nation's first "AI and Crypto Czar." However, public skepticism remains strong—only 24% of Americans believe the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has strengthened the economy, while 44% disagree. According to the report, 46% think Trump's administration has helped make cryptocurrency adoption mainstream, suggesting the policy impact is far from universally accepted.
The barriers keeping most Americans away from crypto haven't budged much despite friendlier regulations. Unstable value is the top concern, cited by 37% of all respondents and remarkably consistent between owners and non-owners alike. Security worries run deep—59% of Americans lack confidence in cryptocurrency security, and 16% of actual owners report having experienced access problems with their holdings, whether from forgotten passwords, lost private keys, or frozen accounts. The report explains that "until the vast majority of Americans who haven't bought crypto can be convinced it's secure, adoption will remain limited to risk-tolerant early adopters." Women remain particularly skeptical, with 19% saying they see no benefits to cryptocurrency whatsoever, compared to 10% of men. The report identifies a large "persuadable middle" of 42% of Americans who might consider acquiring cryptocurrency in the future but haven't committed yet—nearly double the size of definite buyers.
The central question heading into 2026, according to the report, is whether Trump's pro-crypto agenda can finally push ownership beyond the 30% ceiling where it's hovered for three years. With 57% of adults expecting cryptocurrency values to increase in 2026 and strong commitment among current owners, optimism is running high. But deep-seated concerns about volatility, security, and regulatory oversight continue to keep broader adoption at bay. The dominance of "potential price increases" as the perceived greatest benefit—cited by 38% of adults—reveals that speculation still drives adoption far more than practical utility like avoiding banking fees or transaction anonymity. Until the industry can articulate a compelling use case beyond investment returns and build trust among skeptics, crypto ownership may remain stuck in the early-adopter phase.