The crypto industry wants you to believe it has built an unstoppable voting bloc ahead of the November 2026 midterms. The actual electorate might have other plans.

Stand With Crypto, the advocacy group that has become the industry’s loudest political megaphone, claims 2.9 million US advocates are ready to march into polling booths with digital asset policy at the top of their minds. According to the group’s own polling, roughly 70% of crypto owners say a candidate’s stance on legislation like the CLARITY Act will influence their vote. And 80% of those voters say they’re “almost certain” to show up.

Those are impressive numbers. They’re also dramatically at odds with what independent researchers found.

The polling gap no one wants to talk about

A May 2026 survey conducted by Politico and Public First paints a considerably less flattering picture. Just 4% of the overall American populace said they would weigh crypto policy when choosing candidates. Even among people who actually trade digital assets, only 7% called it an important factor.