Most voters in the US are not comfortable with President Donald Trump’s hand on the wheel of oversight of the crypto industry, and 62% say they do not trust his administration on that point, according to a survey commissioned by CoinDesk.
After the previous administration’s heavy-handed approach to cryptocurrencies, Trump’s promise to make the United States the “cryptocurrency capital of the world” revived hopes in the sector. The president has deployed his White House to pave a broad path toward friendly regulation of cryptocurrencies. His administration appointed a high-profile crypto czar, issued executive orders to chart an industry agenda, appointed regulators who pledged to support friendly new rules, and guided legislation to create the first major US crypto law.
However, the polling trend appears to show that Trump’s broader political popularity beyond cryptocurrencies has steadily declined, and his approval rating among American voters is sinking; This latest survey places it at 40%.
This article is part of a CoinDesk series on voter opinions for the 2026 midterm elections.
Nearly half of respondents (45%) are also aware that the president and his family have built a profitable personal stake in the crypto industry, including partial ownership and control of World Liberty Financial and other digital asset interests. The survey revealed that 73% of the public oppose their top government officials (without identifying any in particular) having personal businesses in the industry.
While Republicans are the most flexible on that point, a strong 59% majority of Republican voters also cannot abide those types of ties.
However, most people don’t know the extent of Trump’s financial involvement: only 17% of respondents know that he and his children supported the launch of World Liberty. Although the Trumps have plenty of iron in the crypto fires, World Liberty has attracted particular attention for a number of potential conflicts and controversies.
The online poll conducted last week was evenly split between voters who supported Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris in the last presidential election, so a large majority of respondents who doubt his administration’s crypto capabilities would appear to demonstrate a shift since 2024 in sentiment among some of Trump’s voters.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment, but a World Liberty spokesperson responded to the polling data with a statement that Trump “is committed to making the United States the crypto capital of the world, and World Liberty wholeheartedly supports this vision.”
“The president has continually delivered on his promise to ensure that one of the most important technological advances of the century develops and prospers in the United States,” the company spokesperson said.
In addition to people’s thoughts on Trump and government officials’ involvement in cryptocurrencies, the survey of 1,000 registered voters by research firm Public Opinion Strategies delved deeper into perceptions of cryptocurrencies and voter intentions in this year’s election, revealing that the majority remain distrustful, or at best uncertain, about cryptocurrencies and their place in the economy and politics. The public opinion snapshot has a “credibility interval” of around 3.5%, which accounts for the statistical uncertainty of the survey results.
The cryptocurrency industry has had a delicate relationship with the president, rejoicing in his regulatory appointments and policy decisions but having to quietly weather his own corporate involvement in the sector, which brought a host of challenges when pushing for cryptocurrency legislation. Cryptocurrency Washington’s biggest goal is to get a new law formalizing U.S. regulation of the industry, but Trump’s political opponents argue it serves their own interests. The current effort is known as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, and while the Trump White House has been one of its main drivers, its own ties to cryptocurrencies may get in the way.
The Clarity Act has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is still a few steps away in the Senate, but one of the latest sticking points is a Democratic request that it include a ban on the kind of personal crypto ties that CoinDesk’s poll found most people oppose. The provision to detain top officials of crypto interests clearly had Trump in mind when lawmakers requested it, and bipartisan talks about its potential shape have spanned months and included linguistic exchanges in recent days.
In previous attempts, White House officials have said they will not support a bill that targets the president or his family members. It’s unclear how the final version will avoid impacting Trump while meeting Democrats’ expectations that it prevents government conflicts of interest.
The bill will need a lot of Democrats if it is expected to ultimately get the 60 votes normally required for legislation to win Senate approval.
Last weekend, President Trump spoke at an event for a few hundred top investors in his private label memecoin $TRUMP. There, he assured the crowd that the United States is the “leader in crypto.” He also told them that the assets “have become common.”
According to the CoinDesk survey, the industry has only become a regular part of the lives of a small, not entirely mainstream, segment of the population. And most have not accepted the industry’s most important political driver, Trump, as an industry watchdog they are willing to trust.
CoinDesk will publish data from this survey on Tuesday at Consensus Miami.
