surveys

The latest survey by the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) shows that 77% of Americans believe that cryptocurrencies in workplace retirement plans are risky, with 46% considering the risk to be extremely high, and 53% opposing employers offering cryptocurrencies as an investment option. The survey was conducted by Greenwald Research from October 24 to November 14, 2025, with a sample of 1,203 Americans aged 25 and older.The survey also revealed that 80% of respondents believe the U.S. is facing a retirement crisis, up from 67% in 2020; 61% expressed concern about achieving financial security in retirement, 68% believe it is becoming more difficult to prepare for retirement, and 77% stated that debt hinders adequate savings. Meanwhile, the Trump administration and federal regulators are pushing to expand access to alternative assets in retirement accounts.In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor rescinded previous guidance urging 401(k) fiduciaries to exercise "extreme caution" regarding cryptocurrency investments. Trump signed an executive order on August 7, 2025, directing the Department of Labor and the SEC to consider easing regulations. In March 2026, the Department of Labor proposed a draft rule allowing 401(k) plans to include alternative assets, but faced opposition from Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and others.

According to a CNBC survey, although 84% of respondents expect Trump to nominate National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett to succeed the Fed Chair, only 11% believe he is the right choice. 47% of respondents favor Fed Governor Christopher Waller, while 23% support Kevin Warsh, but only 5% think Trump will choose either of them.The market is concerned about whether Hassett can uphold the Fed's dual mandate of stable prices and maximum employment, as well as maintain the central bank's independence from political interference. 76% of respondents believe the next chair will be more dovish than Powell, and 51% think he will cater to the president's desire for rate cuts rather than act independently.

ChainCatcher News, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated in its employment report on Friday that it no longer plans to reduce the sample size of its key labor market survey, as the recently passed continuing resolution "allows BLS to use current Population Survey (CPS, also known as the household survey) funding at a faster pace."BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer first announced the plan to cut the sample size in June of this year, citing budget constraints and declining response rates that made the survey more expensive and difficult to conduct.The plan would reduce 5,000 households starting in early 2025, bringing the total down to 55,000. BLS received approximately $700 million in funding in the fiscal year that just ended in September. Advocacy group "Friends of BLS" and former White House economists recently urged lawmakers to increase funding by about $20 million for fiscal year 2025, but current proposals in the House and Senate fall far short of this request. The short-term funding bill passed in September will keep the government running until December, which includes $6 million in support for the CPS.