Crypto Survey Finds 84.8% Used AI, but 13% Tried Account-Linked Agents

A survey of 3,708 crypto traders found widespread use of AI for research and trading, but only 13% had tried an agent connected to an exchange account.

The online survey ran Sept. 14-20. MEXC recruited respondents through its social channels, app and website; the sample was mostly men who actively traded spot and futures. Overall, 84.8% said they had used AI for crypto research or trading in the previous six months.

An AI agent in the survey could connect to an exchange account to review positions, analyze markets or execute trades within granted permissions. Some actions may require user confirmation; others can run under preset limits.

Among AI users, 54.3% said they used AI to summarize news, 48.6% for market analysis and 38% to find trading opportunities. For their most recent AI-assisted trade, 68.9% said AI contributed most before trading, while 22.7% said its main contribution came during trading.

AI recommendations also influenced some order decisions. Among AI users, 65.9% said they had sometimes placed orders or adjusted positions based on recommendations, and 20% had tried execution without approving each trade. Separately, 13% of all respondents had tried an AI agent linked to an exchange account.

Among AI users, 58.3% said AI improved their market research. For execution, 46% said it improved, 30.9% saw no change and 23.1% said it worsened. These were respondents’ own assessments, not independently measured trading results.

Stated willingness to automate rose when survey scenarios included safeguards. With notifications and the option to pause trading or revoke access, 55% said they would allow automatic execution. That share rose to 71.8% when the scenario added limits on funds, positions, leverage and losses, with trading stopped at the loss threshold. These answers reflected hypothetical preferences, not actual trading behavior.

In a separate scenario that blocked transfers and withdrawals and let users stop trading at any time, 54% said they would allow AI to use some funds, capped at 20% of their account. Another 18.3% would allow no funds, while 6.5% would allow AI to use more than half.

“As AI becomes more integrated into trading, our findings show that users don’t want less control. They want clearer boundaries,” said Vugar Usi Zade, CEO of MEXC.

Of the 1,856 people interested in AI agents who had not tried one, 51.5% worried about incorrect trades and 41.1% cited account security.