# Only 19% of Americans Trust the US Financial System Growing skepticism toward traditional banking drives interest in decentralized alternatives despite significant knowledge gaps. - **Source:** [INCRYPTED](https://brifing.si/source/7cd4625d-3f08-4cc1-983d-4c7d991839ba) - **Published:** 2026-10-29 - **Topic:** [Finance](https://brifing.si/c/finance) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/c41764ea-577b-401f-b156-72eac1f191e7 ## Widespread Financial System Distrust Only 19% of Americans currently view the national financial system as secure. A significant 63% of respondents advocate for systemic updates to counter emerging threats, particularly those linked to artificial intelligence. Furthermore, 54% express deep concern regarding the ability of financial institutions to protect personal data from sophisticated AI-driven security risks. ## Demand for Financial Autonomy The survey highlights a strong desire for greater control over personal assets. Approximately 80% of Americans believe the financial system must change to empower individual data sovereignty. Additionally, 66% of respondents demand 24/7 access to their funds, while 74% emphasize that financial privacy remains a critical priority for their daily operations. ## Institutional Trust Remains Fragile Confidence in traditional banking institutions is notably low, with only 7% of Americans fully trusting local or regional banks. While large national banks retain 42% trust and credit unions hold 48%, these figures reflect a declining trend. Conversely, trust in crypto exchanges and decentralized platforms remains minimal, hovering between 4% and 5%. ## Crypto Adoption Trends Stagnate While the total percentage of Americans who have ever used cryptocurrencies rose from 18% to 22% over the past year, active usage remains flat at 13%. This suggests that growth is driven by historical users rather than new entrants. Intent to use crypto in the future has also remained stagnant at 17%. ## The DeFi Knowledge Gap Despite growing interest, technical literacy regarding decentralized finance is extremely low. Only 2% of respondents claim to be well-informed about DeFi, and just 6% could correctly identify all four core characteristics of cryptocurrencies. A substantial 35% of participants admitted they were unsure how to describe or define digital assets at all. ## Potential Use Cases for DeFi Interest in DeFi utility is rising among those willing to experiment with the technology. About 85% of potential users would utilize these services for savings, while 82% would use them for peer-to-peer transfers. These figures show a marked increase from 2025, indicating a clear preference for specific functional financial applications. ## Demographics and Political Alignment Crypto engagement shows surprising parity across political lines, with 24% of Republicans and 21% of Democrats reporting prior experience. However, crypto remains a low political priority, as voters prioritize the cost of living and general economic health. Men are significantly more likely to have used crypto recently, at 18% versus 8% for women. ## Future Outlook and Methodology The DeFi Education Fund survey included 1545 adults with a 2.8% margin of error. While interest in learning about stablecoins and DeFi has actually declined, the underlying demand for privacy and control persists. Policymakers face a public that is increasingly skeptical of traditional infrastructure but remains hesitant to fully embrace decentralized alternatives. ## Sources covering this story - https://incrypted.com/lysh-19-amerykantsev-schytayut-fynansovuyu-systemu-ssha-bezopasnoy-opros/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._