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Largest Ever Study of Crypto Holders in the U.S. Finds 21% of Adults Use Digital Assets
National Cryptocurrency Association report reveals prevalence of crypto in America
Today, the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Americans better understand crypto, released a new report based on the largest study ever conducted of crypto holders in the United States. The 2025 State of the Crypto Holders Report found that 55 million U.S. adults are using crypto, and 76% of them say it has a positive impact on their lives.
In partnership with Harris Poll, 10,000 American crypto holders were surveyed. The results prove crypto doesn’t have a type. While ownership generally skews younger with 67% of crypto owners under the age of 45, 15% are over the age of 55. Further, crypto isn’t just for the “bros” - almost a third (31%) of holders are women. Surprisingly, crypto holders are more likely to work in construction (12%) compared to financial services (7%). While nearly half make more than $150,000 (42%), many do not belong to higher income brackets: 26% of crypto-owning households earn less than $75,000 a year, and 40% of crypto users hold less than $5,000 in digital assets.
"We know that millions of real individuals are using crypto and we are excited to continue learning more about who they are and how they are using crypto in their daily lives so we can best support them, along with others who may be curious or even skeptical," said Stuart Alderoty, President of the NCA. "This data tells us that people from all backgrounds are engaging with crypto in many ways, and not only are they excited about the future, they’re also already benefiting from it today.”
Trust in crypto amongst current holders is high, with 76% trusting crypto as much or more than traditional banking institutions. Nearly two-thirds (64%) are supportive of government regulation of crypto but also caution about regulation potentially threatening innovation (67%). Many also want to see the United States become a global leader in the field (73%).
Other key findings include:
- Crypto provides benefits beyond finance, with holders highlighting opportunities such as learning and personal growth (45%), fun and excitement of being part of a new and innovative field (45%), and sense of achievement from investment gains (44%).
- More than half (56%) first acquired cryptocurrency between 2020 and 2025, mostly for investment purposes (60%) but also largely due to curiosity about the technology (50%) and recommendation from family and friends (36%).
- Crypto owners crave information about the industry, with most interested in learning more about crypto (81%) and many (40%) watching, listening to, or reading news about crypto daily. They seek information on investment strategies but also want to know more about legal and regulatory topics, security measures, blockchain technology, and tax implications.
- A significant number of crypto owners (39%) use it to purchase goods and services, and of these, almost all (96%) do so at least once a year - while some (9%) pay with crypto daily.
- Many are also using crypto to participate in decentralized online gaming (20%), buy, sell and trade NFTs (32%), acquire and trade digital collectibles or art (21%), buy and sell artwork (17%), and purchase property and real estate (15%).
Overall, crypto users are optimistic about its role in the development of society and the future, recognizing its ability to promote financial inclusion and reduce poverty (45%), enhance digital transactions (45%), drive technological innovation (38%), contribute to sustainable economic practices (38%), and facilitate international trade and cooperation (33%).
About the National Cryptocurrency Association
The National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA) is a 501(C)(4) organization dedicated to educating consumers about how to engage with crypto. Crypto is positively impacting the lives of millions of Americans but misinformation has held back those who stand to benefit. The NCA is here to help people make sense of crypto by sharing the stories of real people and businesses using crypto, providing educational resources to navigate the hype and confusion, and offering guidance and support through partnerships and services.
Methodology
The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the National Cryptocurrency Association among 10,000 cryptocurrency holders. The survey was conducted January 22, 2025, through February 3, 2025.
Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, region, education, marital status, household size, employment, household income, and political party affiliation to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 1.2 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250402196036/en/
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