Crypto Drives US Growth
U.S. Crypto Sector Forecast to Contribute $55 Billion and Over 230,000 Jobs by 2026
Anonymous
Key Points
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Direct crypto employment is broken down by function, showing a more granular view: software, blockchain and data engineering about 10,100 roles; compliance, finance and business operations about 5,450; executives and managers about 5,100; plus smaller direct roles such as sales and business development (~2,470), hardware and systems engineering (~1,480), and legal and regulatory (~1,160).
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Industrial spillovers are sizable: the 232,000 total jobs include about 75,000 in supplier industries and 123,000 in jobs tied to worker spending, with the model calculating roughly six additional jobs per direct crypto position.
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Geographic distribution shows pronounced concentration in three states (California, New York and Texas) accounting for about 60% of crypto jobs, with the heartland states together holding around 17,000 positions.
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Colorado and North Dakota are identified as rising hubs, attributed to factors like Colorado’s crypto-friendly tax policy and presence of Riot Platforms and Crusoe Energy, and North Dakota’s flare-gas mining and a pilot stablecoin from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.
The U.S. crypto industry directly employs about 34,000 people and is on track to contribute $55 billion to the economy in 2026, according to a new report by National Cryptocurrency Association and the Pragmatic Policy Group. That puts crypto ahead of industries like coffee and tobacco manufacturing in terms of American jobs supported.
When counting supplier industries and spending by crypto workers, the total job footprint rises to roughly 232,000 positions, Crypto News reports. The average crypto salary sits at about $133,000 — more than double the national median wage of $64,000 and higher than both the tech and manufacturing sectors.
How 34,000 Jobs Balloon Into 232,000
The report uses an economic multiplier model to trace crypto's broader reach. For every direct crypto job, roughly six additional jobs are created elsewhere in the economy, according to crypto.news. That math produces a total of about 232,000 jobs — made up of 34,000 direct positions, 75,000 in supplier industries, and 123,000 tied to what crypto workers spend their paychecks on.
The direct jobs break down by role. Software, blockchain, and data engineering lead with about 10,100 positions. Compliance, finance, and business operations account for around 5,450 roles. Executives and managers make up roughly 5,100 more. Smaller categories include sales and business development at about 2,470 jobs, hardware and systems engineering at 1,480, and legal and regulatory work at 1,160, per crypto.news.
California, New York, and Texas Dominate Crypto Employment
Three states — California, New York, and Texas — account for about 60% of all U.S. crypto jobs, according to Crypto News. That concentration reflects where tech talent, financial capital, and energy infrastructure already cluster. The rest of the country still plays a role, with heartland states together holding around 17,000 positions.
Colorado and North Dakota stand out as rising hubs. Colorado benefits from crypto-friendly tax policy and hosts companies like Riot Platforms and Crusoe Energy. North Dakota has leaned into flare-gas mining — burning off waste gas to power crypto operations — and is piloting a stablecoin through the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, per Crypto News.
Crypto Pay Outpaces Tech and Manufacturing Workers
The $133,000 average crypto salary is striking compared to the $64,000 national median wage. That gap is wider than what you see in tech or manufacturing, two sectors long seen as high-paying career paths, according to finance.yahoo.com. High pay tends to boost local economies through spending, which helps explain the large number of jobs tied to worker spending in the model.
A $55 Billion Projection Built on Policy Momentum
The $55 billion GDP contribution projected for 2026 reflects both current industry size and expected growth. The report was commissioned by the National Cryptocurrency Association, an industry group, which means it has an interest in favorable findings. Still, the underlying job and salary data align with broader labor market trends that show crypto hiring expanding fast, per BeInCrypto.
Favorable state policies appear to be a key driver of where that growth lands. States that cut regulatory friction — like Colorado with its tax treatment of crypto — are pulling in companies and workers. The report suggests that policy choices at the state level could reshape the industry's geographic footprint well before 2026, according to crypto.news.
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