1 in 5 adults has invested in, traded or used cryptocurrency: poll

One in 5 adults has invested in, traded or used cryptocurrency, according to a new NBC News poll.

The poll, which surveyed 1,000 Americans, found that half of men between the ages of 18 and 49 said they have dealt with cryptocurrency, the highest amount of any demographic group.

Black Americans also reported using crypto at a significant level at 40 percent, compared to 42 percent of all people between the ages of 18 and 34 who said the same.

The poll goes to show how much cryptocurrency, a relatively young phenomenon, has grown in popularity in recent years. Still, the survey showed there is still some division in opinions about crypto, with 19 percent of respondents saying they view the online currency positively and 25 percent saying they view it negatively.

Proponents of crypto say that bitcoin and other similar online currencies come with a number of advantages, including faster transaction times, lower costs and better security. But critics argue that action from Congress is needed to regulate cryptocurrency, with Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler saying in September that the rapid proliferation of crypto products has turned it into the “wild west.”

The survey comes after President Biden earlier this month signed an executive order commissioning a series of reviews about how the U.S. should regular the cryptocurrency industry.