According to a new Ipsos survey, only 19% of Americans are firmly convinced of the safety of the U.S. financial system, and just 5% express high trust in decentralized platforms.
As part of a national study by the DeFi Education Foundation, conducted using the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, 1,545 adult U.S. residents were surveyed from September 8 to 16, 2026. Using a probability sample weighted to the U.S. adult population, Ipsos reported a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
According to the study’s key findings, complete or high trust in large national banks stands at 42%, in regional or local banks at 41%, and in credit unions at 48%.
Despite Demand for Control, Trust in DeFi Remains Lower Than in Banks
In an institutional trust question asked during the survey, 73% of respondents reported low or no trust in decentralized platforms that allow users to maintain control over their funds. Another 19% expressed some trust, and the published aggregate figure for complete or high trust was 5%.
According to the Ipsos survey results, only 2% of respondents said they are familiar or very familiar with DeFi, compared to 9% for cryptocurrencies and 5% for stablecoins. The share of those unfamiliar or not very familiar with DeFi was 92%, unchanged from the August 2025 survey.
Regarding banks, the results showed that significant groups of respondents demonstrate a limited level of trust. According to Ipsos, 36% of respondents expressed some level of trust in national banks, and 38% in regional or local banks. Low or no trust stood at 20% and 18%, respectively.
According to the summary tables, when asked about the financial services available to them, half of respondents said they are extremely or very satisfied, while 36% are moderately satisfied. The question covered banks, investment services, and payment apps.
The 19% safety figure came from a question about how well the statement “The current financial system in the United States is safe” reflects the respondent’s point of view. According to Ipsos, 3% of respondents answered “very well,” 16% “very well,” and 47% “fairly well.” Another 31% chose “not very well” or “not at all well.”
