Crypto investing statistics at a glance
Cryptocurrency investing is no longer a niche internet habit. The latest survey data shows a market shaped by caution, participation, and a persistent gap between people who own crypto and people who trust it.
Fast facts
- 63% of U.S. adults said they have little to no confidence that current ways to invest in, trade, or use cryptocurrencies are reliable and safe (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 17% of U.S. adults said they have ever invested in, traded, or used a cryptocurrency, and that share was statistically unchanged since 2021 (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 61% of Americans who have ever used crypto said they currently still have cryptocurrency, while 39% said they do not (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 52% of Americans have purchased a cryptocurrency, according to Kraken Learn’s December 2, 2024 summary of source data.
- 40% of Americans own crypto in the study cited by Kraken Learn, up 10 percentage points from 2023 (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
Table of contents
- Crypto investing statistics and participation
- Confidence, trust, and perceived safety
- Who owns crypto and who does not
- Demographics and income patterns
- Portfolio behavior, ETFs, and investment intent
- Taxes, reporting, and transaction use
- What the numbers suggest about crypto investing
Crypto investing statistics and participation
The basic participation numbers show a market that has grown in visibility more than in universal trust. Pew Research Center said 17% of U.S. adults have ever invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency, and that figure has been statistically unchanged since 2021 (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
That matters because it suggests the market is not simply expanding through new converts every year. It is consolidating into a durable user base that has stayed roughly stable even as prices, products, and regulation narratives have shifted.
A few more participation markers stand out:
- 74% of crypto users said they first invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency one to five years earlier (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 16% said they first did so within the previous year (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 10% said they first did so more than five years earlier (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
That mix points to a user base weighted toward more recent adoption. The majority of current users are not long-term veterans from crypto’s earliest retail wave; instead, they arrived in the last several years.
Crypto investing by the numbers
| Metric | Value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Ever invested, traded, or used crypto | 17% of U.S. adults | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| Confidence in crypto reliability and safety | 5% extremely or very confident | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| Confidence in crypto reliability and safety | 18% somewhat confident | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| Little or no confidence in crypto reliability and safety | 63% of U.S. adults | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| Current crypto holders among past users | 61% | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| Past users with no current crypto | 39% | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| First used crypto one to five years earlier | 74% of users | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| First used crypto within previous year | 16% of users | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
| First used crypto more than five years earlier | 10% of users | Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 |
Confidence, trust, and perceived safety
The strongest signal in the data is not enthusiasm. It is hesitation.
Pew Research Center found that 63% of U.S. adults had little to no confidence that current ways to invest in, trade, or use cryptocurrencies are reliable and safe (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024). Only 5% were extremely or very confident, and 18% were somewhat confident (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
That creates a large confidence gap:
- A small optimistic minority is fully convinced.
- A larger group is mildly open but not fully persuaded.
- A dominant majority remains skeptical.
The survey also splits confidence by experience:
- 82% of adults familiar with cryptocurrency but who had not invested in it said they are not very or not at all confident in its reliability and safety (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 39% of adults who have invested in cryptocurrency still said they are not very or not at all confident in its reliability and safety (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
That is a useful distinction. Ownership does not automatically translate into trust. Some people participate despite their doubts, which suggests crypto investing is often driven by speculation, portfolio experimentation, or practical curiosity rather than deep confidence in the underlying market structure.
Age also matters. Among adults 50 and older, 71% said they are not very or not at all confident in cryptocurrency, compared with 55% of adults ages 18 to 49 (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024). Younger adults are less skeptical, but the majority in both groups still lean negative.
Who owns crypto and who does not
Different surveys produce different ownership estimates, but they all point in the same direction: crypto ownership is meaningful, yet still far from universal.
Here is a compact comparison of the figures in the dataset:
| Study or source label | Ownership or participation figure |
|---|---|
| Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024 | 17% of U.S. adults have ever invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency |
| Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report | 21% of U.S. crypto ownership rate |
| Finder Cryptocurrency Adoption Index, October 2024 | 27% of Americans owned cryptocurrency |
| Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024 | 40% of Americans own crypto according to the cited study |
| Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024 | 52% of Americans have purchased a cryptocurrency |
These figures are not directly interchangeable because they come from different studies and wordings, but together they show a broad pattern: crypto ownership has become common enough to matter, while still leaving most adults outside the market.
Pew also found that among Americans who have ever invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency, 61% currently have cryptocurrency and 39% do not (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024). That is an important reminder that “ever used” and “current owner” are not the same category.
Another way to read the market is through lifetime entry and exit:
- Some people try crypto once and leave.
- Some hold for longer.
- Some return after periods of inactivity.
The data does not give a complete lifecycle model, but the retention split suggests that a substantial share of people who test crypto continue to maintain exposure.
Demographics and income patterns
Crypto investing statistics become more interesting when they are broken down by age, gender, income, and political identity. The dataset shows that participation is not evenly distributed.
Gender differences
Pew found that 42% of men ages 18 to 29 have ever invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency, compared with 17% of women ages 18 to 29 (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024). That is a substantial gap inside the youngest adult bracket.
Finder’s October 2024 survey also reported that men were 1.8 times more likely than women to own crypto, with men making up 64% of U.S. crypto owners and women 36% (Finder Cryptocurrency Adoption Index).
Gemini’s 2024 report found that 69% of crypto owners identified as male and 31% as female (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report). It also noted that in 2022, crypto owners were 58% male and 42% female, indicating a widening gender gap in 2024 (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
Income and usage differences
Income does not map neatly to one behavior. The data suggests that higher income is associated with investment ownership, while lower income is more associated with transactional use.
- Adults with income of $100,000 or more were more likely than adults with lower incomes to hold cryptocurrency as an investment (Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023).
- Adults with income less than $25,000 were more likely than adults with higher incomes to use cryptocurrency for financial transactions (Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023).
- 51% of lower-income adults who have used cryptocurrency said they no longer have any (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 32% of middle-income adults who have used cryptocurrency said they no longer have any (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 36% of upper-income adults who have used cryptocurrency said they no longer have any (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
That pattern suggests lower-income users may be more likely to move in and out of the market, while higher-income users may be more likely to hold crypto as part of a broader investment portfolio.
Race and party identity
The dataset also includes several group-level splits:
- 14% of White adults said they have used crypto (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 18% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they have invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 17% of Democrats and Democratic leaners said they have invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 27% of Black users said they first invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency within the previous year (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 12% of White users said they first invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency within the previous year (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 21% of Hispanic users said they first invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency within the previous year (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
- 30% of lower-income users said they first invested in, traded, or used cryptocurrency within the previous year (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
The most notable theme here is that newer adoption is not limited to one demographic. The recent-entry share is higher in some groups than others, but it remains sizable across the board.
Portfolio behavior, ETFs, and investment intent
Ownership is only part of the story. The other part is how people hold crypto, why they hold it, and whether they expect to keep buying.
Gemini’s 2024 report adds several portfolio-level details:
- 37% of U.S. crypto owners said they hold some crypto through an ETF (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 13% said they own crypto exclusively through an ETF (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 38% of U.S. non-owners cited regulatory concerns as a barrier to investing in crypto (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
That mix suggests ETFs have become part of the entry path for some investors, while regulation remains one of the most visible reasons many people stay out.
The same report also found:
- 65% of crypto owners globally said they buy and hold cryptocurrency because they believe in its long-term investment potential (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 38% said they hold crypto to protect against inflation (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 57% of crypto owners said they are comfortable making crypto a core part of their investment portfolio (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 26% of past owners said they are comfortable making crypto a core part of their investment portfolio (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
That comparison between current owners and past owners is telling. People who still hold crypto are much more likely to see it as a permanent or semi-permanent portfolio component.
Kraken’s adoption survey adds a forward-looking signal:
- 88% of crypto holders in Kraken’s 2025 adoption survey said they plan to continue investing in cryptocurrency over the next 12 months (Kraken adoption survey).
- 73% of crypto holders in Kraken’s 2024 survey said they planned to continue investing over the next 12 months (Kraken adoption survey).
- 59% of crypto investors in Kraken’s 2025 survey use DCA as their primary investment strategy (Kraken adoption survey).
- 63% of current crypto owners plan to buy more crypto (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
Taken together, those numbers suggest crypto ownership is not just sticky; for many investors, it is active and intentional.
Market size, ownership scale, and major assets
Crypto investing statistics also show how large the market became in 2024.
Kraken Learn summarized source data showing that crypto’s global market value stood at $2.2 trillion in August 2024, up 36% from $1.6 trillion in January 2024 (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
The same source said about 562 million people owned crypto, equal to 6.8% of the global population (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
Crypto.com’s 2024 market sizing report adds another ownership lens:
- Global cryptocurrency ownership increased by 13.0% in 2024, rising from 583 million owners in January to 659 million in December (Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024).
- Bitcoin owners grew by 13.1%, rising from 298 million to 337 million (Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024).
- Bitcoin owners accounted for 51.2% of global crypto owners in December 2024 (Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024).
- Ethereum owners grew by 13.6%, rising from 125 million to 142 million (Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024).
- Ethereum owners accounted for 21.7% of global crypto owners in December 2024 (Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024).
- Crypto.com estimated that 300,000 to 1.2 million people invested in BTC through U.S. spot ETFs in addition to the on-chain estimate (Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024).
A compact comparison of the major asset figures helps show how ownership concentration works:
| Asset or market measure | Figure | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Global crypto owners in January 2024 | 583 million | Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024 |
| Global crypto owners in December 2024 | 659 million | Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024 |
| Bitcoin owners in January 2024 | 298 million | Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024 |
| Bitcoin owners in December 2024 | 337 million | Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024 |
| Ethereum owners in January 2024 | 125 million | Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024 |
| Ethereum owners in December 2024 | 142 million | Crypto.com Crypto Market Sizing Report 2024 |
| Crypto market value in January 2024 | $1.6 trillion | Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024 |
| Crypto market value in August 2024 | $2.2 trillion | Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024 |
Bitcoin remains the most widely owned asset in the supplied data, followed by Ethereum. That concentration matters because it means the “crypto investor” category is not evenly spread across every token class.
Taxes, reporting, and transaction use
Tax anxiety shows up strongly in the statistics, and it is one of the clearest signs that crypto investing has matured into a mainstream reporting issue.
Kraken’s crypto tax survey found:
- 84% of U.S. crypto holders were concerned that tax regulations will affect their investment returns (Kraken Crypto Taxes Survey).
- 41% planned to seek guidance from a cryptocurrency tax professional (Kraken Crypto Taxes Survey).
- 37% planned to consult financial advisors about taxes (Kraken Crypto Taxes Survey).
- 31% would rely on their crypto exchange or wallet platform for tax resources (Kraken Crypto Taxes Survey).
Those numbers show a practical reality: even people who are comfortable buying crypto often still want help navigating the tax side.
Reporting behavior also remains uneven. In Kraken’s 2024 statistics summary:
- 31% of investors did not report their crypto assets on 2023 crypto taxes (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
- Half of those who did not report said they had not made a profit yet (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
- 18% said they did not know they had to report crypto assets (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
That combination points to a market where some investors are still learning the rules, while others may not think their holdings have crossed a taxable threshold worth reporting.
Crypto also appears in real-world transaction behavior, not just investing.
- 28% of adults who used cryptocurrency to send money to friends or family indicated that at least one transfer was made internationally in 2024 (Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2024).
- 5% of adults who used nonbank check cashing or money orders used cryptocurrency for transactions, compared with 1% of those who did not (Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023).
These figures do not mean crypto has replaced traditional payment rails. They do show that in some circumstances, people use it as a transfer tool as well as an investment asset.
What the numbers suggest about crypto investing
The strongest pattern in the supplied statistics is that crypto investing has crossed into mainstream awareness without crossing into universal trust.
A few final signals stand out from the dataset:
- 38% of Americans who own crypto said a presidential candidate’s stance on crypto would have a significant impact on how they vote for president (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 73% of U.S. crypto owners said they plan to consider a candidate’s policy toward digital assets when voting for president (Gemini 2024 Global State of Crypto Report).
- 52% of Americans have purchased a cryptocurrency in the Kraken Learn summary of source data (Kraken Learn, December 2, 2024).
- 17% of U.S. adults have ever invested in, traded, or used crypto in Pew’s survey, and that figure has not moved much since 2021 (Pew Research Center, October 24, 2024).
That combination says the market is established enough to influence politics, taxes, and portfolio strategy, but still controversial enough to generate broad skepticism.
The data also suggests crypto investing is split between two different ideas:
- A speculative or experimental asset class for some users.
- A long-term portfolio component for a smaller but committed group.
The numbers do not support a single narrative that fits everyone. They show a market with persistent user retention, a meaningful ownership base, strong demographic variation, regulatory anxiety, and a large trust gap that still has not closed.