A Federal Reserve report found that 10% of US adults used or invested in crypto in 2025, the highest level since 2021.
Roughly 10% of US adults used or invested in cryptocurrency in 2025, the highest share recorded since 2021, according to a Federal Reserve report on household economic well-being published on May 13. The figure rose from lower readings in both 2023 and 2024, though it remained below the 12% recorded in 2021.
Among the 10%, approximately 9% held crypto as an investment, 2% used it for payments, and 1% used it to transfer money to family or friends. Crypto usage was higher among unbanked Americans, with 6% of that group using it for transactions compared to 2% of those with bank accounts. About 6% of US adults were unbanked in 2025.
Of those who used crypto for payments, more than 25% said the business they transacted with expressed a preference for crypto, citing advantages such as speed, privacy, and lower costs. Fewer than 10% of businesses preferred crypto payments because they considered it safer than traditional banking or because of distrust in the banking system.
Expanding BTC and cryptocurrency into everyday payments has been a priority for several US payment companies. Jack Dorsey's Block has enabled BTC and stablecoin payments for more than 800,000 U.S.-based merchants. Lightspark, a Bitcoin Lightning Network company, is also working to bring Bitcoin (BTC) payments into broader use.
The Fed report's publication coincided with a transition at the central bank. Jerome Powell's term as Federal Reserve chair ended on May 15. The Senate voted to confirm Kevin Warsh as his replacement on May 13.
Warsh served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011. He has previously stated that BTC could "provide market discipline" and compared it to gold as an investment for people under 40. He is broadly regarded as holding hawkish views on monetary policy, with an emphasis on fiscal restraint, lower inflation, and reduced reliance on quantitative easing.
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