🚨NEW: Americans are more supportive of financial innovation when it’s framed broadly than when it’s explicitly tied to crypto.

A new survey from @fund_defi and @Ipsos found 35% say political candidates should support building the next generation of financial technology in the U.S., but just 13% say the same when asked about blockchain, crypto and DeFi.

That gap reflects a broader trend of companies moving away from identifying solely with crypto, with @a16zfrontier the latest example.

The survey also points to a challenge for the industry: 74% say the financial system needs changes to give people more control over their money and assets, but only 9% say they’re very or extremely familiar with crypto, and just 5% have complete or a lot of trust in decentralized platforms.

Among people open to trying DeFi, saving money and sending money in the U.S. topped the list of potential uses, rather than speculation.

Crypto ownership is up 4 percentage points, but past year use stayed flat at 13%.

My takeaway: Crypto still has a branding problem in 2026 and a long way to go to prove its value to everyday Americans.