A recent report from the National Cryptocurrency Association shows that the U.S. cryptocurrency industry directly employs around 34,000 people and contributes to approximately 232,000 jobs nationwide.
Summary
- NCA estimates U.S. crypto directly employs 34,000 people while supporting 232,000 jobs economywide in 2026.
- The report projects crypto will contribute $55 billion to U.S. GDP and $31 billion income.
- California and New York lead supported employment, while engineering remains crypto’s largest direct occupational group.
Researchers predict that activity involving cryptocurrencies will add over $55 billion to the U.S. economy by 2026.
As a researcher on this project, my team at Pragmatic Policy Group analyzed data for the NCA, who generously funded our work. In our report, we carefully distinguished between jobs directly within crypto companies and those created through related businesses like suppliers, and even from how employees spend their earnings. We found that roughly $31 billion of the total economic impact of the industry ultimately reaches workers as income.
The report estimates that crypto companies will directly employ 34,000 people in full-time positions by 2026. The majority of these jobs – around 10,100 – will be in software, blockchain, and data engineering. Another 5,450 positions will be in areas like compliance, finance, and general business operations, and around 5,100 will be executive or management roles.
I just checked out the new research from the NCA, and it’s pretty fascinating. They’ve finally put together a full picture of how crypto is impacting the US economy, state by state. The biggest takeaway for me? The crypto industry currently supports around 232,000 American jobs. It’s great to see the real-world economic impact being mapped out – definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in seeing how crypto is growing and creating opportunities.
— National Cryptocurrency Association (@NatCryptoAssoc) July 22, 2026
As an analyst reviewing this data, I’ve compared employment in the crypto space to more established industries. We’re looking at roughly 28,400 jobs in coffee and tea production, 15,300 in cement, and 10,600 in tobacco as of recent benchmarks. It’s important to note that most of those figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2024, while our crypto job estimate projects out to 2026. What’s really striking is the average annual wage – we’re seeing around $133,000 across all roles supported by this industry, which is more than double the national median of $64,000.
The report identifies 2,470 jobs in sales and business development, 1,480 in hardware and systems engineering, and 1,160 in legal and regulatory roles as part of direct employment within the industry.
Most supported jobs sit outside crypto companies
The total of 232,000 jobs includes 75,000 at companies that supply the crypto industry and another 123,000 created by spending from people working in crypto. According to the report, each job directly within the cryptocurrency sector actually supports around six additional jobs throughout the U.S. economy – for example, roles in areas like cloud computing, law, insurance, housing, transportation, and restaurants.
The reported number isn’t a simple count of people working directly for crypto companies. The report explains this figure includes the broader economic impact created by those businesses. It also projects that cryptocurrency will add over $55 billion to the U.S. economy by 2026, with around $31 billion going towards worker earnings. The largest part of this economic activity comes from trading in securities, commodities, and investments.
As a crypto investor, I’ve been looking at the job creation side of things, and it’s really concentrated in a few states. California and New York are leading the way – they account for almost half of all the jobs supported by the industry nationwide! California alone has around 57,649 positions, and New York isn’t far behind with 53,766. After that, you’ve got Texas with about 26,536 jobs, then Washington at 15,097, and North Carolina bringing up the rear with around 9,524.
The report estimates that the twelve states considered part of the Heartland region provide over 17,000 jobs overall. Colorado alone supports roughly 5,797 of those jobs and contributes $1.3 billion to the economy. These numbers aren’t just based on employees working directly for blockchain companies; they also include jobs at supplier businesses and positions created by spending from people employed in the crypto industry.
Report lands amid mixed crypto hiring trends
The NCA published a new study at a time when job security in the crypto industry is uncertain. Earlier in 2026, companies like Gemini, Crypto.com, and Algorand announced layoffs, as crypto.news reported in March. More recently, Exodus cut around 25% of its staff while shifting its focus to stablecoin payments, and Polygon Labs also reduced its workforce during a merger with Coinme.
These company layoffs don’t necessarily disprove the NCA’s overall economic impact estimate. That’s because the NCA study looks at the wider economic effects and uses predictions based on data, rather than just counting current employees. The study’s predictions are built using economic data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics, along with revenue figures for the U.S. crypto industry – estimated at $23.22 billion by Statista.
Since the Bureau of Economic Analysis doesn’t treat cryptocurrency as its own separate industry, the Pragmatic Policy Group categorized crypto companies within existing industry groups. Their report shows most revenue from financial crypto activities was counted under securities and commodity trading, with a smaller portion falling into data processing and online publishing. The analysis also assumes current business relationships will continue through 2024.
I’ve been analyzing recent research funded by the NCA, and while they provided the funding, Pragmatic Policy Group has emphasized its independence. What I found particularly interesting is that Stuart Alderoty, President of the NCA and Chief Legal Officer at Ripple, highlighted crypto’s positive impact on American jobs, wages, and overall economic growth. Building on this, another NCA survey we previously covered indicates a significant adoption rate – over 67 million U.S. adults now hold cryptocurrency.
The report shows the industry supports a total of 34,000 direct jobs. When including jobs at suppliers and those created by employee spending, the overall impact grows to 232,000.
2026-07-23 06:08