The last several years have been immensely important for the crypto industry when it comes to firmly planting cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in the public conscience.
Between Bitcoin (BTC) making headlines after soaring in 2017 and 2021, FTX and other scandals shedding light on persistent issues in 2022, and the resurgence and cleanup efforts of 2023, most people have now heard of digital assets.
Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that a poll conducted between November 27 and 29, 2023, and commissioned by Grayscale, one of the hopeful applicants for a spot BTC exchange-traded fund (ETF), found that as many as 70% of American voters want a candidate who is knowledgeable about cryptocurrencies and other innovative technologies.
When it comes to other such technologies, the poll specifically highlighted artificial intelligence (AI) – a technology that came into the spotlight with the launch of OpenAI’s flagship platform, ChatGPT, in November 2022.
Given the investment boom this technology sector has seen, the endless coverage of dangers and issues pertaining to it possibly turning into Skynet from Terminator, the quality of its training data, and the impact on copyright it may have, as well as of hopes for what can be achieved with the help of artificial intelligence, this highlight is also, arguably, not surprising.
The importance of crypto in 2024 election
The Grayscale poll also found that cryptocurrencies will have unprecedented importance in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. In total, approximately 40% of investors say they expect to hold crypto in their portfolios in the future, while 19% currently own cryptocurrencies.
As many as 46% of polled voters claim that they are waiting for clearer regulations before they start engaging with the crypto market.
There is also a clear generational divide, with 31% of Generation Z voters holding cryptocurrencies compared to only 6% of Baby Boomers. Additionally, about one-half of younger voters in whose portfolios crypto is the largest asset class claim they will consider a candidate’s position on digital assets and blockchain technology before casting their ballot.
Other key issues for U.S. voters per the Grayscale poll
The Grayscale poll also included questions not directly related to cryptocurrencies or AI. When discussing values relevant to modern voters, it was found that financial stability is second in importance only to personal health and safety.
Additionally, most American voters believe that inflation was the most pressing issue affecting the U.S. at the time the poll was conducted several weeks ago. Gun violence, the state of the economy, climate change, and political polarization in that order also proved to be important issues.
In terms of the poll itself, it used a sample size of 1,759 adults – generally considered adequate, assuming other relevant criteria were met – and has a confidence level of 95% and is believed to be accurate within a 2.7% range.
