Ever since Bitcoin was first invented in 2008, cryptocurrency has quickly grown in popularity – and notoriety. Find out how many Brits own cryptocurrency and how this compares to trends globally. You can also take a look at our guide to the best crypto to buy now.
UK cryptocurrency statistics: Highlights
11% of Brits, or approximately 5.6 million people, have invested in cryptocurrency as of 2024.
71% of Brits say they have no intention of ever buying cryptocurrency.
Two-thirds (66%) of Brits who have invested in cryptocurrency are men, while around a third (34%) are women.
9% of UK millennials have invested in cryptocurrency.
70% of crypto investors are aged between 18 and 44.
Almost half (47%) of Brits who invested in cryptocurrency bought Bitcoin.
Around 1.3 million Brits owned Bitcoin in 2023, 2.5% of UK adults.
A third (33%) of Brits who invested in cryptocurrency bought Ethereum.
Revenue in the UK cryptocurrencies market is projected to reach £3 billion by 2027.
How many people invest in crypto in the UK?
11% of Brits have invested in cryptocurrency as of 2024, which equates to around 5.6 million adults. This means the number of cryptocurrency users in the UK has surged by around 250% since the beginning of 2018 when just 3% of the population – around 1.5 million people – owned some.
How many people invest in crypto around the world?
Globally, 15.5% said they owned cryptocurrency as of 2022, putting the UK significantly behind when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption. Overall, revenue in the UK cryptocurrencies market is projected to reach £3 billion by 2027.
What is the most popular cryptocurrency in the UK?
Unsurprisingly, Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency in the UK, with 47% of British crypto investors choosing this coin as of 2023. Ethereum comes in second place, with a third (33%) of investors opting for it, while Dogecoin takes third place with 21%.
It is estimated that 2.5% of UK adults own Bitcoin in 2023, which is around 1.3 million people. Bitcoin accounts for almost half (47%) of total cryptocurrency ownership in the UK.
According to our 2023 survey, just under three-quarters (73%) of Bitcoin owners in the UK are male while just over a quarter (27%) are female.
Crypto ownership in the UK by age
Our 2024 survey found that cryptocurrency is most popular among 35-44 year-olds, and almost 2 in 5 (19%) have invested cryptocurency at some point. They are closely followed by 25-34 year-olds, as almost 19% of this group has also invested.
This is likely because these are younger individuals with some disposable income to spare and are more comfortable with digital currency.
Cryptocurrency is less popular with those in the 18-24 and 45-54 age brackets, with around 1 in 10 from each group (10% and 11% respectively) owning cryptocurrency. 55+ year-olds have the lowest adoption rate, as only 3% have invested in cryptocurrency.
In 2024, around 1 in 7 men (14.5%) have invested in cryptocurrencies at some point in their lives compared to around 1 in 15 women (7%).
How are Brits investing in crypto?
Compared to six months earlier in September 2022, most of those who invested in cryptocurrencies were investing more adventurously in March 2023 (42%). A third (33%) of those asked were investing with a similar approach, while 23% were investing more conservatively.
What are the top reasons for buying cryptocurrency?
The most popular reason people have bought or intended to buy cryptocurrency, according to our 2021 survey, is that they believe it will be very influential in the future (23%).
19% of potential and existing crypto investors thought it seemed like an easy way to make money. Additionally, around 1 in 6 (16%) said that influential people, such as Elon Musk, talking about cryptocurrency had convinced them to invest.
I am comfortable with the risk considering the reward
19.60%
Investing platforms make investing more accessible
21.10%
Interest rates are low and I want to make high returns
21.30%
Cryptocurrency will be influential in the future
22.80%
Why are people avoiding cryptocurrency in the UK?
Despite the undoubted increase in interest that cryptocurrency has received, most of the population is not planning to invest in it anytime soon. 7 in 10 (71%) people from our 2021 survey said they hadn’t invested in cryptocurrency and had no plans to do so.
The main reason is that they simply have no interest in cryptocurrency (41%), while the second most common reason is that they feel it’s too risky an investment (31%). The fifth most common reason is that they believe it’s a scam (17%).
Finder commissioned Censuswide to carry out nationally representative surveys of adults aged 18+ on 10-12 January 2024. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.
Finder commissioned Censuswide on 10-13 March 2023 and 12-15 February 2021 to carry out nationally representative surveys of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.
How many Brits have invested in crypto?
6.1% of Brits have invested in cryptocurrency as of 2023, which equates to around 3.3 million adults. This means the number of cryptocurrency users in the UK has surged by 103% since the beginning of 2018 when just 3% of the population – around 1.5 million people – owned some.
Crypto ownership in the UK by age
Cryptocurrency is most popular among 35-44 year-olds, who make up 29% of all crypto investors, closely followed by 25-34 year-olds, who make up 28%. This is likely because these are younger individuals with some disposable income to spare and are more comfortable with digital currency.
Cryptocurrency is least popular with those in the 18-24 and 45-54 age brackets, at 14%, respectively. However, 55+ year-olds also have a low adoption rate, with just 15% of people in this age group buying cryptocurrency.
Across the UK as a whole, cryptocurrency is most popular with millennials, and 9% of this generation has invested in at least one type. They are followed by generation Z, where 7% have bought cryptocurrency, and then generation X, where 4% have bought cryptocurrency.
Quick overview
6.1% of Brits say they currently own cryptocurrency (as of March 2022).
However, this rate is lower than the global average of 15.5%.
A fifth (19%) of Brits have bought cryptocurrency before.
This means the number of people who have bought cryptocurrency before has increased by 103% since 2018 when just 3% of the population owned cryptocurrency.
The most common reasons why Brits are buying cryptocurrency is that they think it will be very influential in the future (23% of crypto owners).
71% of Brits still say they have no intention of ever buying cryptocurrency.
The most common reason these people are avoiding crypto is that they have no interest in it (41%) and they believe it’s too risky (31%).
There’s a new post every three seconds on social media about Bitcoin alone.
How many people in the UK own cryptocurrency?
The crypto ownership rate in the United Kingdom is 6.1%, according to our survey from February 2022.This means that the number of cryptocurrency users in the UK has surged by 103% since the beginning of 2018 when just 3% of the population – 1.5 million people – owned some.
Globally, 15.5%. say they own cryptocurrency, putting the UK significantly behind when it comes to cryptocurrency adoption. Almost a fifth (19%) of Brits say they have bought cryptocurrency at some point before, which is the equivalent of 9.8 million people.
As with those who have already bought cryptocurrency, the younger generations have a greater interest in buying cryptocurrency for the first time in the future.
In the 18-24-year-old age group, a fifth (21%) intend to buy cryptocurrency for the first time in the future. 25-34-year-olds are right behind, with 16% intending to invest. This drops to 1 in 10 (12%) for people aged between 35 and 44. This interest in investment continues to drop for the older generations: 9% of 45-54-year-olds and 6% of those aged 55+ intend to invest in cryptocurrencies.
Percentage who intend to buy crypto for the first time in the future
18-24
20.60%
25-34
15.50%
35-44
11.60%
45-54
9.10%
55+
5.90%
Crypto ownership in the UK and gender
Roughly 8.3% of men in the United Kingdom say they hold crypto compared to 3.9% of women. Of those in the United Kingdom who own crypto, 68% are men and 32% are women.
We also asked the people who have invested in cryptocurrency when they first bought it, and it’s clear that interest is growing. A quarter (25%) of all British crypto owners first invested in 2020 and a fifth (19%) of crypto holders first got involved in 2021. This means that 45% of all British crypto holders got involved from 2020 onwards.
In fact, interest has grown fairly steadily year on year. 11% of crypto investors first bought some in 2016 or before, 11% did so in 2017, 15% in 2018 and 18% in 2019.
Percentage who intend to buy crypto for the first time in the future
18-24
20.60%
25-34
15.50%
35-44
11.60%
45-54
9.10%
55+
5.90%
Which cryptocurrencies are Brits most familiar with?
Recognition of Bitcoin stands at 82% in 2021, and it is interestingly the only coin that’s recognition has increased since 2020. Other notable coins saw a drop in recognition. For example, Ethereum dropped to 14%, Ripple dropped to 5% and Litecoin dropped to 9%. Diem (previously called Libra in 2020) is the least recognised coin among those listed, dropping from 22% to 4%. This decrease in recognition is most likely due to the rebrand.
Finder commissioned Censuswide on 10th-13th March 2023 and 12-15 February 2021 to carry out nationally representative surveys of adults aged 18+. A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.
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Matt Mckenna UK communications manager T: +44 20 8191 8806
Danny is a publisher at Finder specialising in insurance and investing. He previously worked at the global insurer Aon and has appeared in national media giving advice on insurance. Danny holds a BA in International Business from the University of Plymouth and has undying loyalty to his average-poor football team, Portsmouth FC. See full bio
Danny's expertise
Danny has written 368 Finder guides across topics including:
Sophie Barber is a content marketing manager for Finder in the UK after previously working as a content manager at a digital marketing agency. She has over 5 years experience in writing and publishing clear, concise and informative online articles for a variety of websites. See full bio
Sophie's expertise
Sophie has written 74 Finder guides across topics including:
Publishing original personal finance research
Creating data-led statistics pages to highlight industry trends
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