Survey of 1,000 registered voters finds trusted friends, family, and financial advisors are Bitcoin‘s most effective messengers, while “digital gold” framing falls flat
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new national research survey launched by the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), polling firm Cygnal, and Neighborhood Bitcoin found that 94% of registered voters had heard of Bitcoin and that 61% wanted to know more about owning Bitcoin. Moreover, the poll found that 74% had little to no trust in the dollar retaining its value in the years ahead.
“For years, the Bitcoin conversation has been dominated by Bitcoiners talking amongst each other. This research breaks the echo chamber by telling Bitcoiners how to effectively communicate with everyone else. People need to understand what Bitcoin is and how it could benefit their lives, and this research provides a powerful blueprint for educating interested audiences,” said BPI Head of Research Sam Lyman.
The survey, “Identifying the Bitcoin Messages that Resonate with Everyday Americans,” draws on three phases of research conducted from March to June 2026: a national segmentation survey of 1,516 registered voters, eight in-person focus groups with roughly 80 Bitcoin-persuadable non-owners in Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tenn., and a national message-validation survey of 1,000 registered voters ages 18 to 64.
Key findings:
- The most effective messages addressed people’s stated concerns about Bitcoin rather than reciting its general merits.
- The top-performing themes were control, proven performance, security and access, and ease of use.
- Messages emphasizing personal control, such as “you decide how much,” performed strongest, while long-standing industry framing like “digital gold” confused focus group participants and ranked near last in the national survey.
- The research also identified who Americans trust on the topic:
- Asked who they would rely on for reliable information about Bitcoin, respondents named a financial advisor they have worked with personally (33%), a retirement or financial planning expert (25%) and a friend or family member who owns Bitcoin (23%), well ahead of any media figure, business leader or public official.
- A majority of respondents (55%) did not know whether Bitcoin can be purchased through major U.S. brokerages.
“Our research discovered that a significant number of people are curious about Bitcoin but seek clarity around a number of concerns, specifically, safety, control, and where to even start. When those concerns were addressed directly, interest in Bitcoin rose,” said Alli Shaw, Founder & President, Neighborhood Bitcoin. “That is rare in message testing, but shows that this messaging does exactly what it is intended to do: meet people where they are with answers to the concerns that are most important to them,” said Shaw.
The findings reinforce a broader truth about Bitcoin‘s growth. “It’s easy to fixate on the details of the protocol and forget that Bitcoin is as much a social movement as it is a technology,” said BPI senior fellow Troy Cross. “There is nothing more important to Bitcoin‘s adoption than understanding those who don’t already appreciate it.”
The report is for education and research purposes only and is not financial advice. The full report, including topline survey results and the complete message battery rankings, is available at https://www.btcpolicy.org/articles/the-bitcoin-messages-that-resonate-with-everyday-americans.
About the Bitcoin Policy Institute: The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing understanding of Bitcoin and emerging technology and its implications for public policy. Through rigorous research, education, and policy analysis, BPI informs policymakers, regulators, and the public about Bitcoin‘s role in the financial system.
About Cygnal: Cygnal is an award-winning international polling, public opinion, and predictive analytics firm that pioneered multi-mode polling, text-to-web collection, and emotive analysis. Its team members have worked in all 50 states and multiple countries on more than 3,000 corporate, public affairs and political campaigns.
About Neighborhood Bitcoin: Neighborhood Bitcoin is a nonprofit research and education initiative. Its goal is to identify people interested in using Bitcoin, understand their concerns, and address them through education. The research and education that Neighborhood Bitcoin makes available for free is commissioned to benefit others in their understanding of Bitcoin.
SOURCE Bitcoin Policy Institute
