Today, the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Americans understand and use crypto with confidence, released its 2026 Crypto Readiness Report. The research points to a potential wave of adoption building momentum: six in ten non-holders surveyed are curious about or open to crypto.

The study, conducted with The Harris Poll, surveyed over 2,000 U.S. adults who do not currently own crypto. Among the non-holders who are likely to buy crypto in 2026, the findings reveal a population with a variety of motivations for adoption: diversifying their investments motivates them most (41%), followed by shopping for goods and services (26%), getting paid faster (24%), and gaining 24/7 access to their money (24%). Financial stability is also a priority: more than a quarter (27%) also report a fear of falling behind financially if they don’t understand crypto.

“Knowledge is the single biggest lever we have. The largest obstacle standing between non-holders and their first purchase isn’t distrust, its understanding: nearly half (48%) of non-holders cite lack of understanding as a main reason they don’t own crypto today,” said Stuart Alderoty, President of the NCA. “That’s an education gap, and it’s exactly the one NCA exists to close. The people who’ve already embraced crypto can tell you as much: 77% of current holders say the tool has made a positive impact on their lives.”

The Next Wave of Crypto Holders

While crypto holders already span demographics, those who plan to buy are even more diverse. If this wave enters the market, it would make the crypto holder base even more female, more representative of everyday household incomes, and more racially diverse than it is today.

People of color are more than twice as likely as white non-holders to say they plan to buy crypto in 2026, while 42% of respondents likely to buy crypto in 2026 earn a household income that is less than $75,000. That mirrors findings from NCA’s 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report, which shows that crypto ownership isn’t concentrated among the wealthy, 23% of crypto-owning households earn less than $75,000 a year, and holders point to real, tangible benefits beyond investment upside: greater privacy (32%) and control over their finances (30%).

This real momentum among communities that have historically been underserved by traditional finance is why NCA teamed up with Coinbase and Operation HOPE to level the economic playing field with practical education designed to meet real-world needs, empower communities through crypto literacy education while prioritizing those that have been left out – and stand to benefit most.

Profiles by Crypto Holding Status

Current Holders

Likely New 2026 Buyers

Median Age

38

42

Female

34%

43%

People of Color

48%

55%

Household Income Under $75,000

23%

42%

Openness Is the New Norm

Six in ten non-holders are open to crypto, including a quarter (24%) of non-holders who describe themselves as skeptical but open-minded, while 17% as curious but unsure where to start, 11% are simply waiting for the right moment to buy, and 7% are expecting to buy soon.

In addition to the 67 million Americans who already own crypto, another 42 million have considered buying it in the past 12 months – and more than 33 million plan to buy crypto this year. Even those who report being resistant (41%) are less so than the numbers might suggest. When asked what they would do if they were gifted $1,000 in crypto, only 12% of non-holders would refuse it outright.

Trusted Institutions Can Support Adoption

Non-holders are partial to the financial system they already know and trust, and they want crypto to be an addition, not a replacement. Only 12% say traditional financial systems don’t work for people like them, which creates an opportunity for crypto to work with the financial tools non-holders already use.

  • Trust in Traditional Financial System: More than one in three (36%) non-holders say they would be more likely to buy crypto if it were offered through a trusted financial institution like a bank, a retirement account, or a payment app.

  • Dependable Voices: Among non-holders who have a financial advisor, 76% say an advisor recommendation would make them more likely to learn about crypto, and 66% say it would make them more likely to buy crypto.

  • Dependable Sources: When asked what resources would make them feel most confident engaging with cryptocurrency, non-holders ranked guides from financial experts the highest (37%). Non-holders would also turn to organizations and associations focused on cryptocurrency education (27%).

Confidence Follows Understanding

Uncertainty about crypto outweighs distrust, as fewer non-holders think crypto is a scam or a fad than those who are just confused or unknowledgeable about the tool. In addition to a general lack of understanding acting as a major road block, 59% of non-holders report that the technology behind crypto is difficult to understand.

However, these prospective buyers are clear about what would help build their confidence. When asked what would need to change for them to feel comfortable buying crypto, easier-to-understand information ranks first (26%), followed by better protection against scams (25%), trusted financial institutions offering it (23%), and seeing people they know successfully use it (21%).

Taken together, the data points to a clear path forward: trusted institutions and credible voices can help close the confidence gap non-holders face today.

“Non-holders aren’t short on curiosity, they’re short on where to start,” said Ali Tager, VP of External Affairs at NCA. “What stands between the next wave of crypto holders and making a purchase is a set of specific, addressable conditions: understanding how crypto works, confidence they’ll be protected from scams, and a connection to people and institutions they already trust. Those conditions are within the industry’s power to meet, and it’s exactly why we built free tools like our Learning Portal and the ‘Crypto, Explained’ podcast, so that gap doesn’t stay a gap for long.”

As adoption continues to broaden, the NCA is continuing to invest in education that cuts through the hype and jargon, meeting non-holders exactly where they are with accessible resources in a safe space.

About the National Cryptocurrency Association

The National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA) is a 501(C)(4) organization dedicated to educating consumers about how to engage with crypto. Crypto is positively impacting the lives of millions of Americans but misinformation has held back those who stand to benefit. The NCA is here to help make sense of crypto by sharing the stories of real people and businesses using crypto, providing educational resources to navigate the hype and confusion, and offering guidance and support through partnerships and services. For more information, visit https://www.nca.org.

Methodology

The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the National Cryptocurrency Association among 2,014 non-cryptocurrency holders. The survey was conducted June 24 through July 1, 2026.

Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, employment, household income, and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 2.1 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

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