Crypto companies may be small in terms of employers – but the financial contribution is huge.
That is according to a new report published by the National Cryptocurrency Association and the Pragmatic Policy Group, which shows that although only 34,000 people are employed by crypto companies, these companies will contribute $ 55 billion in 2026 to the US economy.
The report, “Crypto at Work”, which claims to be the first in-depth analysis of the crypto industry in the US labor market, reported that jobs in the region and about $133,000 a year – more than double the $64,000 national median, and ahead of the median salary in technology and manufacturing.
“Crypto creates more jobs outside of the tech industry and directly supports more jobs than the major manufacturing industries,” the report said.
Using a complementary economic model, PPG calculated that each direct crypto activity supports approximately six other activities elsewhere in the economy – for retailers, and businesses where crypto users spend their money.
Putting indirect and induced jobs on top of direct jobs yields a total of 232,000 industry-supported jobs.
By most calculations, however, crypto remains a small employer. The report alone shows its 34,000 direct jobs against coffee and tea production (28,400 jobs) and tobacco production (10,600 jobs) – not the size of America’s largest companies.
The movement of these companies is also geographical: California, New York, and Texas account for 60% of all crypto jobs, with 57,600, 53,800, and 26,500 respectively.
The Heartland states — Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas among them — all support more than 17,000 jobs. The report cites Colorado and North Dakota as places on the rise, pointing to Colorado’s crypto-friendly tax policy and companies such as Riot Platforms and Crusoe Energy, and fire mining operations in North Dakota and a stablecoin operator from the State Bank of North Dakota.
PPG describes the survey as the first comprehensive look at the impact of crypto-economics on the labor market, based on the 2024 Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The company also revealed its own strategy restriction: because “the history of a dedicated crypto workforce does not exist,” it adopted cryptocurrencies using a mix of many technology companies instead of traditional currencies.
The NCA, which funded the research, said it hoped the findings would give policymakers “an evidence-based understanding of the sector’s economic contribution.” A non-profit organization founded in 2025 to promote what it describes as safe and informed cryptocurrency in the US.
