Americans Feel Their Financial Data Isn’t Safe

[johnblockbuster]

Ipsos and the DeFi Education Fund’s “Demystifying DeFi” study found widespread distrust in today’s financial system. Over half of Americans say their personal financial data isn’t adequately protected, and most want changes to give them more control.

Their fears are well-founded. From Equifax’s massive breach in 2017 to over 3,000 data compromises in 2024 alone, leaks of sensitive data are routine. Stolen identities power fraud and drain accounts, making privacy a prerequisite for trust. Even routine transactions can feel like surveillance, eroding people’s financial autonomy.

[Nahid Hossen]

Over half of Americans doubt their financial data is safe—constant breaches prove their fears right.

[Abdul Khan]

DeFi’s promise of privacy and autonomy speaks directly to this growing distrust in traditional finance.