US voters ranked crypto last among election priorities in an April poll of 1,000 registered Americans.
Public Opinion Strategies conducted the poll in late April on behalf of CoinDesk, surveying 1,000 randomly selected registered US voters with a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.53%.
Respondents were evenly split between Republican and Democratic identifiers at 41% each. As crypto.news reported, TD Cowen had already warned that the 2026 midterm cycle could push the CLARITY Act “off the congressional calendar until 2027,” framing voter indifference as a direct threat to industry legislative goals.
The sentiment numbers were broadly negative outside the GOP base. Independents viewed crypto unfavorably at 48% versus 27% favorably. Democratic-leaning voters were 54% unfavorable to 26% favorable.
Only Republican leaners produced a slight net positive at 41% to 39%. TraderSunion noted that 62% of respondents said they did not trust the Trump administration to oversee the crypto sector.
What the numbers mean for the industry
AI fared better in the same survey, with 46% favorable versus 45% unfavorable, a net positive that crypto has not achieved. Just 27% of respondents said they had ever invested, traded, or used cryptocurrency, while another 27% said they had not but might one day.
Digital Chamber CEO Cody Carbone has said “there are outstanding sticking points, but that shouldn’t slow down the process” on the CLARITY Act. As crypto.news documented, that sentiment sits against a political backdrop where voter indifference to crypto limits the electoral cost of blocking legislation entirely.
As crypto.news tracked, crypto groups spent roughly $120 to $130 million in the 2024 elections, with 2026 spending expected to exceed that. As crypto.news noted, Binance Research found midterm years historically produce average Bitcoin declines of roughly 56%, with a recovery typically following once election results reduce policy uncertainty.