Millions of Americans are curious about crypto but half feel the boat has sailed

An estimated 61 million Americans are crypto-curious today, even though half fear they may have already missed their chance.

Crypto interest is high, confidence is low

Crypto has never been more visible in American culture, yet most people still watch from the sidelines.

In July 2025, a national survey of 2,000 U.S. adults who don’t own crypto found that 34% were interested in learning more. Based on national population estimates, that translates to roughly 61 million Americans who are curious and open to exploring digital assets.

But interest has not turned into action. Just 1 in 5 say they are likely to acquire or use crypto in the year ahead.

Half worry they may have already missed the opportunity to benefit from it. And while 42% say they are open to using crypto in 2025, 68% admit they are not sure where to start.

The divide points to a growing disconnect between the pace of innovation and the pace of public understanding. Most people do not feel confident navigating crypto, and many do not know where to begin. 

Bridging that confidence gap may be one of the most important challenges the industry has yet to solve.

First-time users face a maze of steps

68% of crypto-interested non-holders said they did not know where to start, as crypto onboarding remains geared more toward early adopters than everyday users.

Most platforms require a series of steps that assume prior familiarity with financial tools or digital security, including verifying identity documents, choosing between asset types, setting up private keys, and understanding trading interfaces that resemble equity dashboards.

In a 2021 FINRA Foundation study on financial capability, only 32% of U.S. adults could correctly answer four out of five basic financial literacy questions. That same demographic is now expected to grasp complex ideas like slippage, gas fees, and self-custody.

More broadly, crypto onboarding has often prioritized breadth over clarity. Exchanges promote hundreds of tokens, each with different use cases, price behavior, and risk profiles. For someone new to digital assets, this variety creates decision fatigue rather than confidence.

Platform design adds further complexity. While many providers have introduced beginner modes, the interfaces still often resemble trading terminals rather than personal finance tools.

A comparison with mainstream fintech apps highlights the gap. Services like Venmo, Cash App, and Apple Pay guide users through a narrow set of predictable actions.

In contrast, most crypto apps continue to position themselves as multipurpose platforms, expecting users to choose their own starting point with limited direction.

The implication is that the industry has reached a stage where product sophistication now outpaces public readiness.

Building new features may no longer be the main driver of growth. Instead, rethinking how users experience their first five minutes with crypto could unlock a larger share of the 61 million Americans who already express interest.

Clear use cases, simplified entry flows, and tools that mimic familiar financial behaviors may prove more effective than technical flexibility alone.

Scandals and hacks still define public perception

Even when users understand how to enter the crypto space, many still choose not to. That hesitation has less to do with technical complexity and more to do with perceived risk.

According to the report, 70% of non-holders said they need more trustworthy information before considering crypto use. Another 43% pointed to fears around fraud and security. These concerns are not unfounded.

Over the past three years, several events have eroded public confidence and left new users uncertain whether the ecosystem is safe enough to explore.

Some of the largest setbacks stemmed from custodial failures. The collapse of FTX in late 2022, which led to over $8 billion in customer losses, continues to be cited in media coverage and consumer sentiment studies.

It was followed by similar breakdowns at Voyager, Celsius, and BlockFi. While most of these platforms have exited the market, their reputational impact persists.

Security incidents have also fueled skepticism. According to Chainalysis, the total value lost to crypto hacks and exploits in 2024 exceeded $2.2 billion. The majority of these breaches targeted cross-chain bridges and decentralized finance protocols.

Although these products serve a small fraction of users, their vulnerabilities often make headlines. For prospective users, the distinction between centralized and decentralized platforms is rarely clear, leaving the entire sector to bear the reputational cost.

Regulatory ambiguity adds another layer of uncertainty. While the U.S. has taken steps toward clearer frameworks with bills such as the CLARITY Act and the GENIUS Act, public awareness of these developments remains limited.

The industry has made efforts to address these concerns. Major custodians now carry insurance policies, audit standards have improved, and new consumer disclosures have been introduced. Yet these upgrades often go unnoticed by those outside the ecosystem.

Perception, in this case, lags behind reality. Until safety becomes more visible than risk, trust will continue to hold back adoption.

Crypto education remains disconnected and jargon-filled

The report also noted that 49% of non-crypto holders said they do not understand how crypto works. Another 31% wanted a clearer understanding of the differences between various types of crypto assets.

The language of crypto remains one of its most persistent obstacles. Industry platforms routinely introduce new users to unfamiliar terms such as gas fees, wallets, staking, and slashing, often without adequate explanation.

While this language serves specific functions within the system, it frequently creates distance between developers and the public.

The problem goes beyond vocabulary. Much of the available education is fragmented and inconsistent. Many platforms provide glossaries, help centers, or short tutorials, but these resources often lack structure and context.

For example, a user trying to understand how to receive crypto payments might encounter content about layer 2 protocols or smart contracts before finding a basic step-by-step guide.

In comparison, traditional banking and fintech apps typically present information in linear, goal-driven formats. A user who wants to transfer funds is usually guided through the process in a few clear screens.

There is also a gap in trusted messengers. Unlike traditional finance, which relies on institutions such as banks, government agencies, and certified advisors, crypto’s educational voice is more decentralized.

Many newcomers turn to influencers, social media threads, or YouTube explainers. While some of this content is useful, the overall experience remains unregulated and inconsistent.

Some platforms have begun to adapt. Coinbase, Bitpanda, and Binance have introduced structured learning sections with rewards for completing short courses. Fintech services like Robinhood and PayPal have integrated crypto explanations into their interfaces.

But these efforts still reach only a small share of the crypto-curious. What is missing is not content, but coherence. Most people do not want to become experts. They want to know enough to make a basic decision safely and confidently.

Crypto needs to fit daily life to scale

For the crypto curious, education and trust are not the end goal. What most people want to know is what they can actually do with crypto once they have it.

23% of interested non-users said they would consider adopting crypto to pay for goods and services. Another 23% said they would use it to earn rewards or interest.

That intent is already visible among current users. According to the same survey, 39% of crypto holders in the U.S. have used it to make payments online or in stores. These include purchases at major retailers, travel bookings, and service subscriptions.

This behavior has grown in parallel with infrastructure. Payment providers such as BitPay, MoonPay, and Strike have expanded access across e-commerce and point-of-sale environments.

Visa and Mastercard have continued issuing crypto-linked cards through exchanges and fintech platforms. PayPal has also added on-chain transfers and stablecoin support.

A similar trend is emerging around passive finance. Stablecoin-based yield products are gaining traction as alternatives to savings accounts.

Platforms such as Circle and Ondo Finance now offer tokenized treasury access, while regulated crypto custodians allow users to earn yield through U.S. government-backed assets.

While infrastructure has improved, only 30% of crypto-interested non-holders in the 2025 survey said they had seen easy-to-understand resources explaining how to use crypto safely.

Even fewer had seen examples of how crypto is used in daily life. Without that visibility, most people continue to associate digital assets with risk, volatility, and unfamiliarity rather than utility.

The next wave of adoption will likely come from products that meet users where they are. That includes simple tools for payments, reliable methods for savings, and clear value in contexts such as travel, commerce, or remittances.