Cryptocurrency adoption in the U.S. is increasingly showing a political divide, with Republicans now more likely than Democrats to own digital assets such as Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH).
22% And 17% Are The Magic Numbers
A June survey by Pew Research Center shows that 22% of Republicans have invested, traded or used cryptocurrency, compared with 17% of Democrats.
This is compared to prior years when crypto ownership rates between the two groups were largely similar, CNBC reported on June 21.
Pew found Republican crypto adoption has climbed six percentage points since 2021, while Democratic participation has remained relatively unchanged.
Morning Consult data cited in the report showed the divide began emerging around mid-2023 and accelerated during the 2024 election cycle.
By Q2 of 2025, nearly 28% of Republicans had bought or sold crypto in the prior 12 months, compared with 17% of Democrats.
“It’s hard to de-couple the rise of GOP crypto adoption from the Trump family’s embrace of it,” said Morning Consult analyst Eli Yokley.
“There’s no Obama coin,” he added. “There are Trump coins and Melania coins.”
Trump’s Crypto Pivot
The shift coincides with President Trump’s transformation from crypto skeptic to one of the industry’s most visible advocates.
In 2019, Trump publicly criticized cryptocurrencies, calling them unregulated and linked to illicit activity.
Since then, he and his family have launched NFT collections, backed the World Liberty Financial venture and introduced the TRUMP (CRYPTO: TRUMP) and Official Melania (CRYPTO: MELANIA) meme coins.
His administration has also promoted policies aimed at making the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world,” including efforts to expand banking access for digital asset firms.
Bigger Divide May Be Gender
While politics has become a growing factor, experts argue gender remains the strongest predictor of crypto adoption.
Morning Consult data shows roughly 74% of crypto traders are men.
Among investors under age 45, men have traded cryptocurrencies at roughly double the rate of women over the past four years. Between 2022 and 2026, crypto participation among younger men ranged from 38% to 42%, compared with 13% to 16% for younger women.
Analysts attribute the gap to differences in risk tolerance and attitudes toward speculative investing in sports betting and prediction markets.
Image: Shutterstock
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