Republicans outpace Democrats in crypto adoption, Pew data shows

A Pew Research Center survey taken in January 2026 found that 22% of Republican-leaning adults had bought or traded cryptocurrency, compared with 17% of Democratic-leaning adults. In 2021, both groups were at roughly 16%.

Republicans added six percentage points over five years. Democrats added one.

About 19% of U.S. adults have now used cryptocurrency, up from 16% in 2021. Nearly all of the growth came from Republican respondents.

The Trump administration entered office in early 2025 with an explicit pro-crypto agenda. It established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve on March 6, 2025.

Demographic data reinforced familiar patterns. Men aged 30-49 led at 40% adoption. Men aged 18-29 came close at 38%. Upper-income households reported 27% adoption.

The partisan split creates a risk for the crypto market: policy continuity depends on which party holds power. The previous administration emphasized enforcement. The current one promotes government Bitcoin accumulation. A political shift could reverse that posture.

The January 2026 survey marked the fifth consecutive year of widening partisan divergence in crypto adoption.