PYMNTS Intelligence’s August 2026 “Credit Union Innovation Readiness” playbook, produced in collaboration with Velera, found that 35% of credit unions that describe themselves as early launchers are actively engaged with cryptocurrency. Among self-described laggards, the share is just 2%.

That 33 percentage point spread puts the industry on markedly different tracks. One group is gaining experience with crypto while another remains almost entirely outside the market.

The difference isn’t simply that early launchers say they’re more open to innovation. They’ve already converted…