A new study of US voters has shown that 49% support pro-crypto policies and consider it important in determining who they vote for. The study is a joint work of blockchain software provider Consensys and data analytics firm HarrisX.
The two firms spent ten days in September 2024 surveying 1,664 registered voters across the US and an additional 1,512 to 1,774 sample voters in Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
According to the report, which aims to provide insights into voters’ views on crypto and the election, 13% of voters are willing to vote outside of party lines for a candidate who will be more pro-crypto, while 85% of voters expect candidates to be pro-crypto.
US voters want regulatory clarity on crypto
One of the key themes in the report is the call for regulatory clarity among voters, with many willing to support the candidate they believe will set a better crypto policy. According to the study, 44% of voters do not think the current government has done enough to support the crypto industry.
Speaking on this, the founder of Consensys, Joe Lubin, noted that the survey shows that voters, like crypto companies, also want a pro-crypto stance and regulatory clarity.
He said:
“We’ve been operating under a cloud of uncertainty for too long, and the poll results show that crypto is a bipartisan issue, with voters also calling for clarity and a pro-crypto stance.”
However, there is no consensus on how the government should regulate the industry, particularly in the Swing states. While 59% of voters in Michigan want a free market approach, 41% believe the government should properly regulate it.
Still, most voters agree that regulatory clarity is needed to protect consumers from crypto-related frauds and scams. 78% of voters say implementing consumer protection measures is the one policy position that could swing their support for a candidate.
Crypto voters still not convinced by Trump or Harris
A whopping 92% of crypto owners plan to vote in the coming elections, but there is no united front on who to vote for. More than half of these voters, 56%, support Donald Trump because of his pro-crypto stance, and about one-third of them say they will vote for him because of that.
However, 54% of voters also want Kamala Harris to be more definite on her position on crypto, highlighting how these voters are undecided and could support Harris if they have a good reason. Since the survey, the voters have gotten their wishes to some extent, with Harris publicly declaring her support for the crypto industry.
The political division extends beyond the presidential candidates and affects the parties. Voters are also undecided on which party is capable of setting and implementing the right crypto policy, with 35% backing Republicans and 32% backing Democrats.
With these divisions and indecisiveness, experts believe candidates have a golden opportunity to capture undecided voters by embracing a pro-crypto stance. Some candidates have already embraced the idea and more could likely follow after this survey.
According to Dritan Nesho, the CEO of HarrisX, the crypto industry is now mature, and crypto voters constitute a powerful and engaged group capable of tipping the scales.
He said:
“It’s no surprise then that this voter block, which is up for grabs by either presidential campaign, could tip the scales in an election that increasingly looks likely to be decided by a thin margin.”
There are clear indications of this possibility, particularly in Swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, where crypto might be a big decider. For instance, 34% of Pennsylvania voters will vote outside their party for a candidate with pro-crypto policies.
