85% of consumers trust fintech providers overall — but only 32% trust AI to manage their money

Two things are true about consumer trust in financial technology at the same time in 2026: fintech overall enjoys remarkably high trust and satisfaction, and artificial intelligence specifically — even inside otherwise-trusted fintech products — has a real, measured trust problem. This page covers both, along with the newest edge of consumer fintech adoption: stablecoins moving from a crypto-native niche into an ordinary payment tool.

Fintech overall: satisfaction and trust are close to universal

A Morning Consult survey of 2,239 consumers conducted for the Financial Technology Association (May 2025) found 96% of consumers report high satisfaction with fintech products, and 85% say they trust fintech providers. The comparison to traditional banking is stark: 79% of consumers say fintech better meets their needs than traditional banks, 79% feel a greater sense of control using fintech versus legacy financial services, and 86% report fintech has improved their overall financial well-being. Among the 501 small-and-medium business decision-makers surveyed separately, satisfaction runs even higher — 98% report satisfaction, 95% say fintech meets their needs better than banks, and 94% would recommend fintech tools to a peer.

But AI specifically is a real trust gap — even for people who use it

That overall trust doesn't extend evenly to AI. MX's June 2026 survey of 1,035 US adults found 56% of consumers use AI regularly and 26% use it daily, yet only 32% trust AI to help manage their finances — while 50% actively distrust it. The chatbot experience specifically looks worse in practice than in theory: just 34% of consumers have used an AI chatbot for banking, and of that group, 53% say it was not very helpful or not helpful at all.

The trust gap narrows depending on what AI is being asked to do. 47% of consumers say they're ready to trust AI for financial guidance — a recommendation or an insight — versus 43% willing to trust AI to take financial actions on their behalf, suggesting consumers are considerably more comfortable with AI as an advisor than as an autonomous agent handling their money. Personalization cuts both ways here too: 61% of consumers believe their financial provider should understand their needs well enough to personalize service, but 34% say they currently receive irrelevant messages and 31% encounter outdated insights from their provider — a service gap that likely feeds AI distrust rather than resolving it.

The generational divide is sharp: Gen Z and Millennial consumers show significantly higher AI adoption rates in the MX survey, while more than 75% of Baby Boomers say they don't use AI consistently and report minimal trust in financial AI specifically.

Stablecoins are moving from crypto niche to mainstream payment tool

BVNK's 2026 Stablecoin Utility Report offers the clearest look yet at how ordinary consumers actually use stablecoins, rather than just hold them speculatively. Half of crypto-holding consumers increased their stablecoin holdings over the past year. Among stablecoin holders, 45% convert their holdings to local currency and 27% spend them directly on goods and services — with about 28% converting or spending within days of receiving them, and most doing so within months. Cost is a real driver: users report roughly 40% savings in transaction fees compared to traditional cross-border payment methods.

Trust in existing financial institutions, not distrust of them, appears to be shaping how consumers want to access stablecoins: 77% say they would open a stablecoin wallet through their existing bank or fintech provider rather than a crypto-native platform, and roughly 67% of consumers in wealthier nations show a high likelihood of adopting stablecoins specifically through a bank-integrated product. Adoption skews young — over half of current users and prospective adopters are 18-34 — and skews male globally (roughly 60% of ownership), though adoption is close to gender-balanced in lower- and middle-income economies, and nearly balanced by gender in Africa specifically. The leading concerns holding back further adoption are irreversible payments (cited by 30% of respondents), payment-process complexity (22%), unclear fees or exchange rates (20%), and a desire for stronger consumer protection (14%).

Methodology

Figures on this page are drawn from three published surveys, cited individually below: a Morning Consult survey of 2,239 consumers and 501 small-to-medium business decision-makers conducted for the Financial Technology Association (May 16-24, 2025); an MX survey of 1,035 US adults conducted in June 2026, balanced across generation, gender, and race; and BVNK's 2026 Stablecoin Utility Report on consumer stablecoin usage. Each survey uses its own sample, methodology, and question wording, so figures from different surveys should be read as directionally consistent rather than strictly comparable. This page presents market research and survey statistics only; it is not financial advice, and readers with questions about specific financial products should consult a qualified professional.

References

1. Financial Technology Association. (2025). “State of Fintech” Survey Reveals High Levels of Satisfaction, Value, and Trust in Fintech (Morning Consult, May 2025). https://www.ftassociation.org/new-state-of-fintech-survey-reveals-high-levels-of-satisfaction-value-and-trust-in-fintech/
2. MX. (2026). 2026 Consumer Banking Trends: AI, Trust & Personalization. https://www.mx.com/research/next-generation-of-financial-trust/
3. BVNK, via The Paypers. (2026). Stablecoin Utility Report 2026: Consumer Payment Trends. https://thepaypers.com/crypto-web3-and-cbdc/expert-views/how-consumers-use-stablecoins-2026-bvnk-report-highlights