Editor's Note: Cryptocurrency regulation is emerging as a new variable in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections.

A HarrisX survey reveals that voters nationwide, across party lines, not only support U.S. leadership in digital finance and cryptocurrency but also widely endorse passing the CLARITY Act.

This bill was originally a legislative framework for regulation, with its core objectives being to clarify the regulatory boundaries between the SEC and CFTC over digital assets, establish registration rules for exchanges and custodians, and strengthen consumer protection. However, judging from the HarrisX survey results, its political significance now extends beyond the crypto industry itself: 37% of voters stated they would be more inclined to support a senator who votes for the bill; overall, supporting the CLARITY Act could yield a net electoral gain of 20 percentage points.

More noteworthy is the cross-party fluidity. The survey shows that 47% of voters indicated they would consider voting for a candidate from outside their preferred party if that candidate supports the CLARITY Act while their preferred party does not. This percentage is even higher among cryptocurrency holders, voters familiar with digital assets, and those aware of the bill.

This suggests that the CLARITY Act is not merely a legislative attempt by the crypto industry to seek regulatory clarity; it could also become a tool for candidates to mobilize young voters, crypto holders, and swing voters. For American politics, the core question of crypto regulation is shifting from "Should it be regulated?" to "Who can use it to mobilize votes?"

The original article follows:

Introduction

Digital assets and their federal regulatory framework are at a critical inflection point.

The Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (CLARITY Act, H.R.3633), currently under consideration in Congress, seeks to clarify three things: which regulatory agency, the SEC or the CFTC, oversees different types of digital assets; registration rules for cryptocurrency trading platforms and custodians; and industry-wide consumer protection standards. This is one of the most significant pieces of digital asset legislation Congress has considered to date.

Building on its longstanding expertise in public opinion polling, HarrisX conducted this national survey of 2,008 registered voters to measure four key aspects: voter awareness and ownership of digital assets; attitudes towards U.S. leadership in digital finance; support for the CLARITY Act; and whether candidates' stances on crypto regulation could impact the 2026 midterm elections.

Eight of the world's top ten cryptocurrency exchanges are headquartered outside the United States. As digital payment systems and stablecoin infrastructure expand globally, the U.S. risks ceding leadership in a strategic financial technology to foreign jurisdictions if it fails to establish clear federal rules. This would have tangible implications for national security, the global standing of the U.S. dollar, the retention of developers and businesses, and the overall competitiveness of the U.S. in financial technology innovation.

Voters across the political spectrum recognize this risk and want Congress to act swiftly.

U.S. Leadership & the Need for Clear Federal Rules

Voter familiarity with digital assets remains limited, but their perspective is clear and consistent: the U.S. should establish rules for digital finance, and it should act quickly.

Awareness of digital assets is still not high, but crypto holders are now a sizable voting bloc

·39% of voters say they are familiar with digital assets and blockchain technology; 61% say they are not.

·Two-fifths of voters have purchased cryptocurrency at some point; 30% have done so within the past year.

·Familiarity and ownership are concentrated among male voters and those under 35.

Voters want the U.S. to maintain leadership in cryptocurrency

Although most voters are not familiar with the technical details of digital assets, they express a strong, broad, and stable demand for U.S. leadership and clear federal rules.

A 70% majority of voters believe the U.S. is long overdue in passing clear crypto legislation; 62% believe it is very important for the U.S. to set global rules for digital finance.

Voters also do not favor continuing to rely on case-by-case enforcement: 60% prefer clear federal legislation, even if it's imperfect; 57% believe it's better to pass some legislation now and improve it over time rather than wait for a perfect law.

Even when trade-offs are explicitly stated, voters still lean towards taking action. 56% believe the U.S. should enact clear regulation to take control of crypto markets, even if it means accepting some associated risks.

Overall, these results indicate voters are not asking Congress to continue debating *whether* to act, but to act swiftly, clearly, and at the federal level.

Offshore centralization is a significant but under-recognized issue

Voter support for U.S. regulation is also motivated by another concrete reason: the high concentration of crypto exchanges overseas.

The survey shows voters are generally unaware of how much digital asset market activity occurs outside U.S. oversight; but once informed, few find this acceptable.

·Only one-third of voters are aware that eight of the world's top ten crypto exchanges are headquartered outside the U.S.

·After learning this fact, 46% of voters believe it is at least somewhat problematic that most crypto trading occurs outside U.S. regulation; only 13% believe it is not a problem or even a good thing.

National security is a key factor driving voter support for federal action

When framed in a national security context, voter concerns are further amplified by the potential for foreign control of digital payment systems to undermine U.S. security and the dollar's global standing.

·56% of voters believe U.S. national security would be weakened if future digital payment systems are built and controlled outside the U.S. Only 22% believe it would strengthen U.S. security.

·Over two-fifths of voters believe the dollar's global standing would be weakened if stablecoins issued by foreign entities become dominant; only 17% believe it would strengthen the dollar's position.

Voters have long desired better rules and regulation for digital assets

The demand for federal action did not begin with the current debate. Over the past three years, multiple HarrisX studies have consistently shown voters prefer clearer rules, stronger protections, and a more proactive U.S. regulatory approach to digital assets.

Key findings from our previous research include:

·Voters want clear crypto rules, not regulation-by-enforcement. In a 2024 study, voters preferred clear rules over enforcement by a 48% to 23% margin; by 2025, the gap remained largely unchanged at 49% for clear rules vs. 26% for enforcement.

·Voters believe the U.S. is falling behind, creating a leadership gap. In 2024 and 2025, only about one-fifth of voters believed the U.S. was leading in crypto regulation, while 36% believed the U.S. was already behind.

·But voters want the U.S. to lead in this space. In 2025, 69% of registered voters and 84% of crypto investors believed it was very important for the U.S. to lead the world in blockchain technology development; 82% of voters supported Congress enacting stricter rules for crypto exchanges and brokers.

The CLARITY Act Earns Bipartisan Support

After receiving a neutral description, 52% of voters support the CLARITY Act, with 11% opposed. Support is bipartisan, and the persuadable middle remains large.

Current voter awareness of the bill remains low

·64% of voters have not heard of the CLARITY Act; 14% have heard a lot, and 22% have heard a little.

·The initial explanation voters hear about the bill will determine its ceiling of political support. The neutral description used in this survey resulted in solid majority support.

After a neutral description, support is strong, with limited opposition

The CLARITY Act garners strong support among key groups

·Support is demonstrably bipartisan: Net support is +48 among Republican voters, +43 among Democrats, +52 among likely midterm voters, and +32 among Independents.

·Only 10% of Independents oppose the bill; the vast majority are in the persuadable middle: 47% neither support nor oppose.

·Support is highest among voters most familiar with the issue: Net support is +57 among crypto holders, +55 among those familiar with digital assets, and +49 among those aware of the CLARITY Act. Education and information exposure increase support.

Support for the CLARITY Act is built upon broader national security concerns

When asked which rationale most strongly supports passing the CLARITY Act, voters cited:

·National Security & Dollar's Standing (23%): "Keeping the dollar and U.S. payment systems at the center of global finance is a national security priority."

·Enforcement & Illicit Finance (17%)

·Consumer Protection & Fraud Prevention (16%)

·Jobs & Businesses Leaving the U.S. (11%)

Electoral Impact of Supporting the CLARITY Act

Voting to pass the CLARITY Act is a clear electoral positive across party lines. Nearly half of voters say this type of issue could make them cross party lines to vote.

Senators voting for the CLARITY Act gain support among various voter groups

37% of voters say they would be more inclined to support a senator who votes to pass the CLARITY Act; 17% would be less inclined; 46% say it makes no difference. Overall, the net gain is +20.

This impact is strongest among Republican voters, with 44% saying they'd be more inclined to support; it remains positive among Democratic voters at 37%; and among Independents at 31%.

Cross-party appeal: 47% of voters would consider switching their party vote over this issue

·In a midterm environment where most issues reinforce existing partisan divisions, the CLARITY Act is one of the few legislative issues that could create cross-party fluidity.

·47% of voters say they would at least somewhat consider voting for a candidate outside their preferred party if that candidate supports the CLARITY Act and their preferred party does not.

·This willingness to cross party lines is higher among cryptocurrency holders, voters familiar with digital assets, and those aware of the CLARITY Act, reaching 72%, 67%, and 67%, respectively.

A majority of voters say this issue will influence their 2026 vote

·52% of voters say a candidate's position on cryptocurrency regulation will be "extremely important" or "somewhat important" to their vote in the 2026 midterms.

·Among cryptocurrency holders, this rises to 78%; among voters familiar with digital assets, it's 74%.

·Issue intensity is moderate, with 16% saying "extremely important." While not yet a top-tier voting driver, it has broad political reach: many voters are willing to factor crypto regulation into their 2026 voting calculus.

Crypto voters are a sizable and influential voting bloc

Beyond general voter support for the CLARITY Act, the survey results also show unique political value in appealing to crypto voters. They are a sizable, influential group; previous HarrisX research indicates they are highly engaged, issue-driven, and willing to cross party lines when a candidate's crypto policy aligns with their views:

·Highly Engaged: 92% of crypto holders plan to vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

·Issue-Driven: 49% of U.S. voters say it's important that a candidate supports pro-crypto policies; among crypto holders, this jumps to 85%.

·Persuadable Across Party Lines: U.S. voters are net more likely to vote for a candidate outside their party if that candidate supports their preferred pro-crypto policies, by a net of +13 percentage points; among crypto holders, this surge is +58 points.

·Influential in Swing States: In Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, the number of issue-driven crypto voters already exceeds previous presidential election victory margins.

·Already a Recognized Political Force: CBS News reported that in congressional races where the crypto industry was active, candidates backed by the industry won 85% of their contests.

Strategic Implications

Voters respond positively to the CLARITY Act because it touches on a broader issue: U.S. leadership, national security, and whether digital finance remains under U.S. oversight.

Voters don't need to be crypto enthusiasts to support the CLARITY Act. They are responding to a simple judgment: digital finance is happening regardless, much of it has already moved offshore, and the U.S. should bring it under regulation through clear federal rules.

The political case for passing the CLARITY Act is stronger than the case against it. A senator voting for passage gains a +20 net electoral advantage and creates conditions for cross-party support.

For target voter groups, this can be a genuine voting issue. Among crypto holders, voters familiar with digital assets, young men, and those already aware of the CLARITY Act, this issue is potent enough to change votes and even prompt cross-party voting. For the broader electorate, supporting the CLARITY Act is also a clear net-positive political marker.