1inch Survey Shows Experienced DeFi Users Driving 2026 Optimism, Highlights Pain Points Around Gas and Security

New updates have been reported about 1inch.

1inch has published a global DeFi user sentiment survey for 2026 that reinforces its strategic positioning in decentralized trading while clarifying where user demand and friction points lie. Out of 8,199 respondents gathered through 1inch and selected DeFi partners, 72% expressed optimism about DeFi’s future, with confidence particularly strong in the U.S. at 83%, and more muted in key Asian hubs such as Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The findings suggest that growing regulatory clarity and rising institutional participation are supporting sentiment, while concerns over external shocks have eased. Importantly for 1inch’s user-acquisition and retention strategy, optimism correlates strongly with experience: users with more than one year in DeFi showed roughly 73% positive sentiment, versus just over 60% among newer entrants, indicating that sustained engagement and education can materially improve user confidence.

The survey also provides product and market intelligence directly relevant to 1inch’s roadmap. Users identified gas fees as their most significant frustration (27%), followed by security risks (22%), failed or slow transactions (18%), and bridge-related issues (14%), aligning closely with 1inch’s focus on low-cost routing, execution reliability, and infrastructure integrations. When evaluating new projects or assets, respondents prioritized liquidity (56%) and trust factors such as clear backing and custody (39%), legal and regulatory clarity (37%), and transparency and attestations (35%), ahead of brand or “vibes,” underscoring a market preference for depth rather than hype. On-chain tradability remains important, with 31% valuing the ability to trade directly on-chain—core to 1inch’s business model. Co-founder Sergej Kunz framed the results as a mandate to further reduce friction around gas and bridges while meeting user expectations on liquidity, security, and trust. For executives, the survey signals that 1inch’s existing strengths in aggregation, self-custodial tooling, and business-facing infrastructure are aligned with what more experienced, higher-confidence users value most, while highlighting concrete areas for continued product and UX investment as DeFi matures into 2026.