UK Crypto Ownership Declines to 8% — But High-Value Portfolios Are Growing

UK Crypto Ownership Declines to 8% — But High-Value Portfolios Are Growing

In 2025, the rate of cryptocurrency ownership in the UK has experienced a significant drop, even though those who remain invested are expanding their holdings, as indicated by recent data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The FCA's Cryptoassets Consumer Research 2025 report reveals that only 8% of adults in the UK currently own some form of cryptocurrency, a decrease from 12% just a year prior. This marks the first noticeable decline in participation since the pandemic-driven surge in crypto adoption.

Crypto Participants

Despite the decrease in ownership, the current level is still higher than the early days of crypto in 2021, when just 4% of the adult population reported ownership. Today’s figures illustrate a market that is not only shrinking but also becoming more concentrated, with existing users increasing their investments and committing to longer holding periods.

Key Demographics: Crypto Ownership Still Predominantly Young

The demographics of crypto owners remain fairly stable. Ownership rates are notably higher among men at 11% compared to women and are particularly prevalent among individuals aged 18 to 34, with 15% in this group indicating they own cryptocurrencies.

Demographic Breakdown

General awareness of cryptocurrencies is high, as 91% of survey participants reported knowing about digital assets, maintaining levels seen in 2024 and reflecting ongoing familiarity with cryptocurrencies.

Furthermore, individuals from ethnic minority groups and those in higher income brackets were more likely to own digital assets, based on the FCA's comprehensive survey of over 2,300 adults.

Diverse Ownership

Bitcoin remains the most widely held cryptocurrency, with 57% of users owning it, showing a recovery of five percentage points after years of declining ownership. Ethereum follows at 43%, showing little change from the previous year. Other cryptocurrencies such as Solana, Dogecoin, XRP, and Cardano are also mentioned, but at much lower rates.

Shift Toward Higher-Value Crypto Holdings

While overall ownership figures have declined, there's an observed trend towards larger holdings among remaining users. The proportion of individuals holding between £1,001 and £5,000 in crypto has increased to 21%, up four percentage points from 2024. Additionally, those with portfolios ranging from £5,001 to £10,000 also rose to 11%, an increase of three points.

Portfolio Growth

Conversely, the number of holders with £100 or less has continued to decline, continuing a noticeable trend over recent years. The FCA has highlighted that the gap between high-value and low-value holders is widening, especially concerning motivations towards long-term investments.

Most crypto purchases are still made using personal cash. Approximately 76% of users reported using disposable income for purchases, while 25% utilized long-term savings, and 19% relied on gains from previous investments.

Funding Sources

The instance of credit-based purchasing has diminished further, with only 9% of respondents using credit cards to buy crypto, marking a decrease of five percentage points since 2024. Notably, new entrants to the crypto space are dwindling—the data indicates only 5% of current owners purchased their assets after October 2024, with the majority having joined between 2019 and 2021.

Furthermore, incentives like rewards or promotions appear to have dropped, with only 17% of users indicating they received such offers in the past half-year.

Exchange Usage

The report also underlines that centralized exchanges are still the primary access point for crypto in the UK, with 73% of users relying on them—an increase compared to last year. Coinbase and Binance remain the most popular platforms, although Binance’s market share has decreased.

Regulatory Changes and Global Positioning

These findings come amidst a transformation in the UK’s regulatory environment. In 2025, new legislation was introduced to bring cryptocurrency activities under the oversight of the FCA, which also formally recognized digital assets as personal property under UK law.

While full implementation of this regulatory framework is not expected until 2027, the FCA is already expediting approvals and initiating consultations on trading, staking, lending, and decentralized finance.

On a global scale, the UK has been ranked 11th in Chainalysis' crypto adoption index, trailing behind countries like India, the United States, Brazil, and Vietnam.