40+ Statistics on Cryptocurrency Investors

Cryptocurrency has grown to become one of the most popular investment asset classes, with its meteoric rise dwarfing traditional assets like stocks and precious metals. All this has happened in just over a decade, with Bitcoin (BTC) having launched in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Key statistics about how many people invest in cryptocurrencies in 2022:

• Over 1 billion people will use crypto by the end of 2022, according to a market forecast by crypto platform Crypto.com.
• There were nearly 300 million crypto owners by the end of 2021.
• 70% of crypto investors began investing in digital assets in late 2020 and the first half of 2021, a study by Cardify found.
• $163 billion was made by crypto investors in profits for 2021, according to blockchain analytics platform Chainalysis.
• 83% of US millennial millionaires are crypto investors, with a CNBC survey finding total investable assets for the group to average $1 million+
• Nigeria is one of the most crypto-mad nations, with over 35% of its investor population in crypto.

Global crypto investors – 2022 statistics

1. Over 1 billion crypto users estimated for 2022

Over 1 billion people will own cryptocurrency by the end of 2022. Research by global crypto exchange Crypto.com forecasts this number based on estimated growth patterns over the past two years.

2. 300 million crypto owners in 2021

There were nearly 300 million crypto investors by the end of 2021. The number represented a global crypto growth rate of more than 178%, with Crypto.com research showing the global crypto population increased from just over 106 million in 2020 to 295 million in December 2021.

3. 70% of crypto investors are new

70% of those who invested in crypto in 2021 did so for the first time, according to a recent survey by Cardify. A survey by the University of Chicago found that 61% of investors bought their first crypto between January and June 2021.

4. The average age of a crypto investor is 38 years

The average crypto investor is around 38 years old, compared to the average of 47 years old for stock investors.

5. 35% of crypto investors earn $60,000 or lower

The percentage of crypto investors with annual income below $60,000 is 35%, according to a research group at the University of Chicago. The percentage is higher than that of investors who traded stocks (27%).

6. 25% of typical crypto investors are high-income earners

The typical investor is mostly younger, educated and high income earners, with 25% of these investors on annual income of $100,000 or more, according to Bankrate.

7. Globally, 79% of crypto investors are men, and 21% are women.

Crypto investing is predominantly male, with research showing 79% are men and just 21% women, although women are increasingly getting into the market.

8. 70% of women investors say they know about crypto

While fewer women currently invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, more than 70% say they know about the investment class and are willing to put a percentage of their net worth in them.

9. 63% of crypto investors know market volatility

A recent survey by crypto platform Binance showed 63% of crypto investors realise how volatile the crypto market can be. As such, this percentage of investors only invest using disposable funds or money they can afford to lose.

10.  67% of millennials rate crypto over gold

More and more millennials see cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, as a better investment and safe haven compared to gold. Indeed, 67% of millennials rate crypto over the precious metal.

11. Crypto adoption jumped 37.5% across use cases in 2021

While crypto investors grew massively throughout 2021, the overall rate of adoption for various use cases, including in investing and payments, was 37.5% in the second half of the year.

12. Crypto adoption across use cases in 2020

Crypto adoption across different use cases in 2020, including people using cryptocurrencies for payments,  trading and investing increased by 23%.

13. Countries with largest percentage of investors in crypto ETFs

According to Statista, most investors in crypto-themed ETFs are in Europe, with the largest crypto hedge fund managers increasingly launching products for the European market. Statista’s Global Consumer Survey shows the US and China lag the European market in crypto-themed ETFs.

Which is the most popular crypto for investors?

14. Bitcoin is the most popular crypto for investors

Bitcoin is the most popular crypto for investors, followed by Ethereum, Dogecoin and BNB. Indeed, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin all saw respective online searches explode in 2021, with monthly averages for the three well above 1 million.

15. 59% of investors are interested in Bitcoin

A 2021 study by digital assets investment firm Grayscale Investments found that 59% of investors were interested in Bitcoin as an investment. That figure increased from about 55% in 2020 and 36% in 2019.

16. 55% of crypto investors see Bitcoin as a long term investment

According to a recent Grayscale study, more than half of investors in the crypto space see Bitcoin as a long term investment. The same percentage also consider the cryptocurrency great for a diversified investment strategy.

17. Crypto investors 3 times more likely to consider Bitcoin as a store of value than a currency

As per the Grayscale study of December 2021, investors are 3 times more likely to rate Bitcoin a store of value and not a currency. This is indicated by the percentage of people who say Bitcoin is a long term investment.

18. 176 million people had bought Bitcoin by December 2021

Bitcoin users grew by 37.5% in 2021, hitting 176 million in December; meanwhile Ethereum investors increased 1.4% during the same period to 23 million.

Crypto exchanges and cryptocurrencies stats

19. Over 520 cryptocurrency exchanges

According to CoinMarketCap, there are 527 cryptocurrency exchanges across spot, derivatives and DEX as of October 2022.

20. Over 20,000 cryptocurrencies

As of October 2022, CoinMarketCap data shows there are more than 20,000 different types of cryptocurrencies. However, most of the value is in the top 10 crypto assets led by Bitcoin and Ether.

21. $1 trillion in current global crypto market cap

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization is over $1 trillion as of 6 October 2022, down from over $3 trillion when Bitcoin price rose to an all-time high of around $69,000 in 2021.

22. 84 million blockchain wallets

As of October 2022, there are over 84 million unique blockchain wallets globally, with the number expected to hit 100 million in the first half of 2023.

Crypto investment (money invested and performance) in 2022

23. $2 trillion lost in bear market

Over $2 trillion worth of cryptocurrency market value was lost during the 2022 bear market.

24. 46% of investors unhappy with 2022 performance

As a result of the 2022 bear market, nearly 46% of investors said their investments performed worse than expected.

25. The average amount put into crypto investments in $263

Crypto investors were putting an average of $263 into crypto accounts by September 2021, according to research by Cardify. This was higher than the average of $250 investors put in traditional brokerages around the same period.

26. There has been a 25% jump in money invested in crypto

Only 5% of money held by investors was put into crypto in 2020, but that spiked to nearly 25% in 2021, market research by Cardify showed.

27.   $163 billion in crypto profits

According to data estimates blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, crypto investors saw total profits of more than $163 billion in 2021.

Who invests in crypto in the US?

28. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans know about cryptocurrencies

Growth in crypto investor numbers in the US is also shown by the 86% of adults who say they know or have heard about cryptocurrencies. That represents nearly 1 in every 10 Americans, according to the latest Pew Research Center survey of September 2021.

29. 16% of Americans owned crypto in 2021

16% of US adults say they have invested in crypto according to a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center. In comparison, just 1% traded, used or owned Bitcoin in 2015.

30. More than 59 million Americans owned crypto in 2021

In terms of US crypto investors by numbers, 59.1 million Americans owned at least one cryptocurrency in 2021

31. About 54 million Americans plan to invest in crypto in 2022

More than 15% of Americans plan to invest in crypto in 2022 and over the next two years, despite the recent crypto crash.

32. Millennials make 57% of crypto owners

More than 57% of crypto investors in the US are millennials, with Gen Z at 13% and Gen Xers are at 20%.

33. 83% of US millennial millionaires own crypto

83% of millennial millionaires in the US are cryptocurrency owners, according to a CNBC Millionaire Survey. Per the survey, investable assets are $1 million or more.

34. Percentage of crypto investors higher among Blacks than Whites in the US

According to research, more Blacks, Asians and Hispanics than White American adults have ever invested in one or the other crypto asset. Of US adult males who invest in crypto, 13% are White while it’s 18% of Blacks according to Pew’s 2021 research. A recent Morning Consult survey showed 24% of male crypto investors in the US are Hispanics.

35. 22% of US adult males invest in crypto

Pew Research Center found that of Americans who say they had put money into crypto by 2021, about 22% were men and 10% women.

36.  About 31% of young Americans invest in crypto

In the United States, crypto investors are likely to be young people below 30 years. Indeed, Pew found that 31% of US adults aged 18-29 years have invested in crypto assets, compared to 21% of those between 30-49 years.

37. 8% of 50-64 year-olds invest in crypto

The other group of crypto investors is 8% of the 50-64 year-olds and 3% of the 65%+ age bracket.

38. 43% of American men aged 18-29 invest in crypto

43% of men aged 18-29 invest in digital assets, compared to 19% of women in the same age bracket.

Crypto investors in the United Kingdom

39. Nearly 78% of UK adults know about cryptocurrency as an investment

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a consumer research note in June 2021 showing 78% of the UK adult population has heard about cryptocurrencies.

40. Over 2.3 million UK adults invest in crypto

More than 2.3 million people in the UK own different types of crypto assets, up from 1.9 million estimated in 2020.

Crypto investors in Asia

41. Asia led global crypto investment index for 2021

Asia led the global crypto adoption index among retail investors in 2021. Countries with the highest retail investors in crypto are Vietnam, India, Pakistan and Singapore.

42. Almost 45% of Asian crypto investors first bought crypto in 2021

In 2021, nearly 45% of those who bought crypto in the Asia Pacific region did so for the first time.

43. 73% of rich Asian investors plan to buy crypto

About 73% of wealthy Asian investors plan to hold crypto by the end of 2022. According to the latest research by Accenture, 52% of the rich already hold digital assets.

How many people invest in crypto in Africa

Africa has witnessed one of the fastest adoption rates for crypto, with the continent seeing more crypto investors in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. As of 2022…

44. Over 34 million Nigerians invest in crypto

About 34.5 million Nigerians, just over 35% of the country’s total population, currently own one form or the other of cryptocurrencies. Over 52% of Nigerian crypto investors have more than 50% of their assets in crypto, according to crypto platform KuCoin’s Into The Cryptoverse Report.

45. Just over 7.6 million South Africans have invested in crypto

About 7.6 million, or 22% of South Africans between 18 and 60 years have invested in digital currencies, according to  the recent Kucoin study

46. Research shows more than 4.5 million Kenyans own crypto

About 4.5 million, or nearly 9% of Kenyan adults have crypto investments, according to country statistics by the firm Triple A.

Conclusion

Crypto adoption from an investment perspective continues to grow around the world, with the total number of investors projected to hit 1 billion in 2022. More than 70% of new crypto investors entered the market in 2020-2021, and despite the recent crypto winter more people consider Bitcoin a great long term investment asset and are willing to allocate a percentage of their net worth in the asset class. Among investors, Bitcoin and Ethereum are two of the most popular, although others like Ripple (XRP) and Cardano have huge communities around them.