The state of finance is a system in transition. Americans want a financial system that is more secure, transparent, and in their control: only about 3 in 10 Americans (31%) strongly agree that the financial system works well for “people like them,” no traditional financial institution earns complete or a lot of trust from even half of Americans, and only about half of Americans (49%) feel they have personal control over their financial assets.
On the future of finance, Americans seem to agree on a direction: they want a financial system that keeps up with the times. Nearly 2 in 3 Americans (63%) say the financial system needs to be upgraded to combat new threats like cybercrime and AI. Three in four Americans (74%) say financial privacy is important to them. Two in three Americans (66%) want access to their money at all times. These are basic expectations of people living largely digital lives.
And Americans are already acting on those expectations. More than 1 in 5 Americans have now owned or used crypto, up from 18% from 2025. 2 in 5 Americans say they’d be at least somewhat likely to try decentralized finance, and those likely to try it want it for everyday finance: more than 8 in 10 would use it to save money, send money to family, and earn interest.