67 million Americans now own crypto, with more holders in construction than finance

The stereotype of the typical crypto owner, a 28-year-old software engineer refreshing CoinGecko at 3 a.m., is getting harder to sustain. A new report from the National Cryptocurrency Association finds that roughly 67 million US adults now hold cryptocurrency, and the fastest-growing segments of ownership look nothing like Silicon Valley.

Construction and manufacturing workers now make up 21% of all crypto holders, according to the NCA’s 2026 State of Crypto Holders Report. Tech workers sit at 18%. Finance professionals clock in at around 8%.

The numbers behind the shift

The NCA surveyed 10,000 crypto holders between February 12 and March 3, 2026. One in four US adults now owns some form of cryptocurrency, up from roughly 55 million the year prior. That’s a gain of 12 million holders in a single year.

Among people who bought crypto for the first time in 2025 or 2026, 42% are women. That’s a meaningful jump from the 34% female share among earlier adopters.

Nearly 28% of new holders are over 55, a cohort that the crypto industry spent years trying, and largely failing, to reach.

What people actually do with crypto

Among the 10,000 respondents, 41% said they use crypto to send money to family and friends. Another 40% reported using it for shopping and payments.

Over half of crypto holders earn under $150K in household income, with nearly a quarter earning below $75K.

Why blue-collar adoption matters

The 21% combined share for construction and manufacturing also reflects sheer workforce size. The US has far more people pouring concrete and running assembly lines than writing Python or managing hedge funds.

The regulatory angle is worth watching closely. When crypto holders were concentrated among high-net-worth tech workers, regulators could treat the space as a niche concern. A user base of 67 million people spanning every major industry makes that posture harder to maintain.

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