One-Third of U.S. Voters Prioritize Political Candidates’ Stance on Crypto: Harris Poll

One in three voters in the United States considers a candidate’s position on cryptocurrencies before making their voting decision.

According to a recent online survey conducted by the Harris Poll, 77% of respondents believe that a U.S. presidential candidate should possess at least an “informed perspective” on cryptocurrencies.

The poll, which surveyed likely U.S. voters, was funded by Grayscale, a Bitcoin ETF issuer, and involved over 1,700 participants.

Interestingly, the survey highlighted that voters are equally divided on which political party takes the lead on digital asset issues.

Crypto Finds Increased Political Attention

This recent poll builds upon a previous round of questioning conducted late last year, which indicated that an increasing number of people anticipate cryptocurrency becoming a part of their investment portfolios (47%).

The growing interest in cryptocurrencies could explain the heightened political attention the topic is receiving.

Zach Pandl, Head of Research at Grayscale, said that likely American voters, regardless of their political affiliation, demonstrate a heightened interest in investing in crypto assets and supporting candidates who are well-versed in emerging technologies.

The survey revealed that the majority of respondents (98%) had heard of Bitcoin, indicating its widespread recognition.

Additionally, a significant segment of voters claimed to be familiar with Ethereum’s ether (ETH), with only 46% stating that they had never heard of it.

Moreover, around 17% of voters reported having invested in Bitcoin, placing it on par with bonds as an investment option and surpassing investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Furthermore, 44% of voters expressed their belief, to varying degrees, that “crypto and Blockchain technology are the future of finance,” marking a four-percentage-point increase from responses to the same question asked the previous year.

However, respondents also indicated a desire for government oversight, with 52% stating that they would be more likely to invest in digital assets if the field were subject to more regulations.

Fed Survey Finds 7% of US Adults Using Crypto

The number of United States adults reporting crypto ownership or usage has seen a significant decline , according to the latest annual household survey conducted by the Fed.

The survey, known as the Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), indicates that approximately 18 million US adults reported using cryptocurrencies in 2023, representing a drop from previous years.

In the 12-month period leading up to October 2023, the survey found that 7% of the surveyed US adults reported using cryptocurrencies, down from 10% in 2022 and 12% in 2021.

These findings from the Federal Reserve survey significantly differ from Coinbase’s claim that 52 million Americans own cryptocurrencies .

Furthermore, another survey conducted by The Harris Poll in December last year revealed that approximately 73% of US voters believe that US presidential candidates should have an informed perspective on innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency.

Likewise, a recent report from Coinbase claimed that California voters who own cryptocurrencies are expected to have a significant impact on the 2024 elections.