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%. DeFi trust remains below banks despite demand for control In the survey’s institutional trust question, 73% of respondents reported little or ...