At the end of 2024, the cryptocurrency market experienced a historic surge, with Bitcoin breaking through the $100,000 mark for the first time. This milestone sparked a wave of mainstream adoption, with a significant increase in Americans owning digital assets. The rapid growth of cryptocurrency ownership continues into 2025 as awareness of the technology and its potential benefits continues to grow.
This report from NFTevening delves into the reasons behind the explosive growth of the cryptocurrency market in 2025. Changing landscape.
How many Americans will own cryptocurrencies in 2025?
By 2025, 70% of U.S. adults will own cryptocurrencies, meaning approx. 183 million people. Ownership rate increased significantly 40% in 2024 to 70% in 2025showing the American people’s growing acceptance and interest in digital assets.
Who uses cryptocurrencies?
age
Cryptocurrency ownership cuts across all age groups. By 2025, Gen Z (ages 18-27) will have 42.3% ownership, while those under 18 will account for just 0.3%. Followed by Millennials (28-43 years old), accounting for 37.4%. Generation X (44-60 years old) accounted for 16.3%, while those over 60 years old accounted for 4.0%.
gender
By 2025, cryptocurrency ownership is slightly skewed towards men, with 58% of owners identifying as male. Women account for 41.6% of cryptocurrency holders, and 0.4% of them do not want to reveal their gender.
race/ethnicity
The racial and ethnic makeup of cryptocurrency holders in 2025 is diverse. The majority are black, accounting for 57.9%, followed by whites, accounting for 34.2%. Hispanics and Asians accounted for 3.1% and 3.5% respectively, while 1.3% were unwilling to specify their race or ethnicity.
Cryptocurrency Ownership and Sentiment in 2025
Current cryptocurrency owners
By 2025, 96.7% of existing cryptocurrency owners will continue to hold their investments. This shows that existing investors have confidence in digital assets.
Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency, with 78.4% ownership by cryptocurrency holders. Ethereum is the second most popular, with 40.7% ownership. Other widely held cryptocurrencies include USDT (38.9%), Dogecoin (26.1%), and Solana (15.9%).
| cryptocurrency | Shareholding ratio |
| Bitcoin | 78.4% |
| Ethereum | 40.7% |
| Tether | 38.9% |
| Sol | 15.9% |
| Ripple | 11.8% |
| dog | 26.1% |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture | 7.4% |
| ADA | 5.7% |
| Binance Bank | 15.6% |
| LTC | 9.2% |
| Others | 5.5% |
Reasons to adopt cryptocurrencies
78.3% of investors mentioned that the most common reason for investing in cryptocurrencies was the potential for high profits. A diversified portfolio motivates 43.5% of investors, while 34% aim to protect against inflation. 27.4% aim to achieve financial independence from government regulation.
Additionally, 37.2% believe in the future potential of blockchain technology, while a smaller proportion invest out of curiosity or fear of missing out (FOMO).
| Reasons to buy cryptocurrencies | percentage |
| High profit potential | 78.3% |
| Diversified investment portfolio | 43.5% |
| Protect my money from inflation | 34.0% |
| Financially independent from government regulations | 27.4% |
| Belief in the future of blockchain technology | 37.2% |
| Fear of missing out (FOMO) | 11.8% |
| for fun/curiosity | 13.5% |
| other | 3.3% |
Non-cryptocurrency owners
The future of cryptocurrencies looks promising, with 13.6% of non-owners planning to enter the market by the end of 2025.33.6% of non-holders said they have no plans to invest in cryptocurrencies.
Concerns deterring cryptocurrency adoption
There are several factors that prevent non-owners from entering the cryptocurrency market. 51.5% of respondents said their biggest concern was lack of knowledge.
48.2% are worried about losing money, while security risks such as hacking or fraud are significant obstacles faced by 39.2%. Other concerns include price volatility 33.6% and lack of government or bank protection 26.6%.
| Barriers to Cryptocurrency Adoption | percentage |
| lack of knowledge | 51.5% |
| Afraid of losing money | 48.2% |
| Security risks (hacking, fraud) | 39.2% |
| price fluctuations | 33.6% |
| Lack of government/bank protection | 26.6% |
| Difficulty of use/access | 14.0% |
| No need or interest in cryptocurrencies | 18.9% |
| other | 3.3% |
How does the $100,000-plus Bitcoin storm impact cryptocurrency investors?
Bitcoin prices soared to $100,000, greatly affecting investor behavior. Among non-cryptocurrency owners, 43.5% said this milestone made them more interested in investing in cryptocurrencies.
The rise of Bitcoin has influenced the investment decisions of 67% of investors. Of this group, 26% started investing in cryptocurrencies for the first time as a result of the price surge.
In addition, 29.2% of investors chose to increase their existing investments. However, some investors decided to cash out; 11.6% sold some of their BTC and 0.4% sold all of their BTC. Despite this, 32.8% of investors said that price increases did not affect their investment choices.
Financial benefits from Bitcoin’s rise
A large number of investors (89.2%) increased their profits due to the rise of Bitcoin. Of these investors, 62% said their returns increased by at least 50%. This shows that many people have benefited significantly from the increase in the value of Bitcoin.
When looking at how much their income grew, the results varied. About 37.68% of investors said that their income increased by less than 50%. Another 28.46% of investors saw their returns growing between 50% and 100%.
About 19.87% of investors experienced income growth of 101% to 200%. Finally, 13.99% of investors’ income increased significantly, with their income increasing by more than 200%.
What Investors Think of the Cryptocurrency Market in 2025
Only 32.9% of investors believe altcoins will surpass Bitcoin in 2025. This shows that most investors remain confident in Bitcoin’s dominance in the market.
Top Stories Driving Cryptocurrency Markets in 2025
Bitcoin ETFs are seen as the most talked about topic based on investor sentiment, with 48.4% of investors expecting the biggest impact. Following closely are the gaming and metaverse sectors (36.6%) and Memecoins (34.5%). These three areas are expected to drive market growth and attention this year.
Interestingly, AI ranked fifth with only 24.7%. Despite growing interest in artificial intelligence, investors appear to believe other narratives are more likely to drive the cryptocurrency market forward in 2025.
Here’s a breakdown of the key ideas investors believe will shape the cryptocurrency market in 2025:
Most investors believe certain factors will boost the cryptocurrency market in 2025.
Increased cryptocurrency adoption is also a key factor, with 57.7% of investors expecting it to drive growth. Additionally, 41.4% of investors believe that potential pro-cryptocurrency regulations from the Trump administration could help the market.
| driving factors | Investor ratio |
| Bitcoin price continues to soar | 72.5% |
| Trump Administration’s Support for Cryptocurrency Regulation | 41.4% |
| More ETFs approved | 34.8% |
| Increase cryptocurrency adoption | 57.7% |
| New potential cryptocurrencies | 29.6% |
methodology
The findings in this report are based on a survey of 1,006 Americans conducted in December 2024. The report uses clear numbers and patterns to explain how cryptocurrencies are becoming more mainstream. data collector safety net Data for 2023 and 2024 are also used to compare trends over time.
