Statistics · 2026 · Crypto
Crypto Ownership Statistics (2026)
No single number answers how many Americans own crypto, because four published surveys ask different questions of different groups. The Federal Reserve found 10% of adults used crypto in the prior year (October 2025). Pew found 19% have ever invested in, traded or used it (January 2026). Gallup found 9% of adults currently own it (June 2026). These figures do not conflict. They measure different things.
Key takeaways
- The Federal Reserve found 10% of adults used crypto in the prior year, and 9% bought or held it as an investment.
- Pew found 19% of adults have ever invested in, traded or used crypto, including 26% of ages 18 to 29 and 28% of ages 30 to 49.
- Gallup found 9% of adults and 11% of investors currently own crypto, down from 14% and 17% in 2025.
- Compare each survey only with itself: Pew's share was 16% in 2021 and 19% in 2026, which Pew calls about on par, while Gallup's investor share fell from 17% to 11%.
- CoinGecko put the total crypto market at $2.90T on October 2, 2026, with bitcoin at 58.69% of it.
How many Americans own cryptocurrency?
It depends on the survey. The Federal Reserve found 10% of adults used crypto in the prior year. Pew found 19% have ever invested in, traded or used it. Gallup found 9% of adults currently own it. FINRA found 27% of investors have invested. Each figure answers a different question about a different group.
1. Federal Reserve: 10% of adults used crypto in the prior year
The Fed’s 2025 Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households report says “the 10 percent of adults who used cryptocurrency for either purpose was up 2 percentage points from the prior year.” The question covered the past year and crypto “such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.” Fielded October 17 to 28, 2025, with 12,934 respondents (table 33). Table 33 shows 9% bought or held crypto as an investment and 2% used it to pay. The report cautions that its online sample may be more technologically connected than all adults, which could raise reported use. It has no crypto-by-income table.
2. Pew: 19% of adults have ever invested in, traded or used crypto
Pew Research Center surveyed 8,512 U.S. adults from January 20 to 26, 2026 (margin of error ±1.4 points) on whether they have “ever invested in, traded, or used a cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ether.” “Ever” includes people who no longer hold any.
3. Gallup: 9% of adults currently own crypto
Gallup reports that “9% now report owning cryptocurrency, down from 14% in Gallup’s initial reading of this group last year.” The June 1 to 15, 2026 poll covered 2,043 adults (margin of error ±3 points).
4. Gallup: 11% of investors own crypto
Investors are people with $10,000 or more invested. In 2026, 11% of 1,048 investors (±4 points) said they own crypto, down from 17% in 2025.
5. FINRA Foundation: 27% of investors have invested in crypto
The FINRA Foundation report surveyed 2,861 U.S. adults with investments outside retirement accounts, July to December 2024: “the percentage investing in cryptocurrency has not changed (27 percent).” The base is investors, not all Americans, and only respondents aware of crypto were asked.
| Survey | Fielded | Question | Universe and sample | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve SHED | Oct. 17-28, 2025 | Past-year investing, paying or sending | U.S. adults; 12,934 | 10% (any use) |
| FINRA Foundation | July-Dec. 2024 | Invested in crypto | Investors outside retirement accounts; 2,861 | 27% |
| Gallup | June 1-15, 2026 | Currently own crypto | U.S. adults; 2,043; ±3 points | 9% |
| Gallup | June 1-15, 2026 | Currently own crypto | Investors with $10,000+ invested; 1,048; ±4 points | 11% |
| Pew Research Center | Jan. 20-26, 2026 | Ever invested in, traded or used | U.S. adults; 8,512; ±1.4 points | 19% |
Who owns crypto by income?
In Pew’s January 2026 survey, 27% of upper-income adults had ever invested in, traded or used crypto, against 20% of middle-income and 16% of lower-income adults. Gallup’s 2026 poll of investors lists the groups in the same order. These surveys show who reports crypto, not why groups differ.
6. Pew: 27% of upper-, 20% of middle- and 16% of lower-income adults
Pew says upper-income use is “up from 23% in 2024 and 17% in 2021,” and that use “has not changed among lower-income Americans (16% this year vs. 15% in 2021).” Pew’s note: “Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2024 earnings.” The Fed’s SHED report has no crypto-by-income table, so income comes from Pew and Gallup.
| Pew income group | 2021 | 2024 | 2026 | 2026 sample | 2026 margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper income | 17% | 23% | 27% | 2,015 | ±2.6 points |
| Middle income | 17% | 18% | 20% | 4,161 | ±2.0 points |
| Lower income | 15% | 14% | 16% | 1,894 | ±3.0 points |
7. Gallup: 15% of upper-income investors own crypto, against 7% of middle- and 4% of lower-income investors
The 2026 poll reports that “upper-income investors (15%) are more likely than middle- (7%) and lower-income (4%) investors to own cryptocurrency.” Gallup labels the tiers “Upper income ($90,000 or more),” “Middle income ($48,000-$89,999)” and “Lower income (Less than $48,000).” The base is investors, so these shares do not compare with Pew’s all-adult figures. Gallup does not publish subgroup margins, which are larger than the ±4 points for all investors.
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Who owns crypto by age?
Pew found that 26% of adults ages 18 to 29 and 28% of ages 30 to 49 have ever invested in, traded or used crypto, against 10% of adults 50 and older. Gallup and FINRA also report higher rates among younger people. Each uses its own age bands and its own universe.
8. Pew: 26% of ages 18-29 and 28% of ages 30-49, against 10% of ages 50+
With margins of ±4.3 and ±2.3 points, Pew’s data do not rank one younger group above the other. By gender, 38% of men and 15% of women ages 18 to 29 have used crypto. Pew does not say why.
| Pew age group | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 18-29 | 26% | ±4.3 points |
| 30-49 | 28% | ±2.3 points |
| 50+ | 10% | not published for the combined group |
9. Gallup: 20% of investors ages 30-49 own crypto, against 4% of those 65 and older
Gallup’s 2026 investor sample shows 8% for ages 18 to 29, 20% for 30 to 49, 10% for 50 to 64 and 4% for 65 and older. Gallup does not publish subgroup margins, which are larger than the ±4 points for all investors.
10. FINRA Foundation: half of investors under 35 who know of crypto have invested
The report says “half have already invested, compared to 8 percent and 10 percent respectively among investors 55 and older” (considering and invested). It warns that sub-population breakdowns “may not necessarily be representative.”
Why do people hold crypto?
No survey here publishes reasons for holding crypto as an investment. The Federal Reserve asks people who used crypto to buy something, make a payment or send money to friends or family for their main reason: recipient preferred it (26%), speed (19%), privacy (17%), cost (14%), safety (9%), distrust of banks (7%) and other (8%).
11. Federal Reserve: 26% of crypto payment users said the recipient preferred crypto
In table 34 of the SHED report, the base is adults who used crypto to buy something, make a payment or send money to friends or family (279 unweighted respondents); the table note reads “Among adults who used cryptocurrency for financial transactions.” The question: “What was the main reason you used cryptocurrency to buy something, make a payment, or send money?”
- 26% said the person or business receiving the money preferred cryptocurrency.
- 19% said they used it to send the money faster.
- 17% said privacy.
- 14% said it was cheaper.
- 9% said it was safer.
- 7% said they do not trust banks.
- 8% gave another reason.
Has crypto ownership grown?
The surveys measure different things. Pew’s share of adults who have ever invested in, traded or used crypto was 16% in 2021 and 19% in 2026, which Pew calls about on par. Gallup’s share of investors who currently own it fell from 17% in 2025 to 11% in 2026. Compare each survey only with itself.
12. Federal Reserve: 12% in 2021, 7% in 2023, 10% in 2025
Table 33 shows any use at 12, 10, 7, 8 and 10 percent from 2021 to 2025. The 2025 share “remained down from 12 percent in 2021, the first time the survey asked about cryptocurrency.”
13. Gallup: investors fell from 17% to 11%; adults from 14% to 9%
Gallup says investor ownership “has fallen from last year’s high but remains well above where it stood several years ago” (2% in 2018, 6% in 2021). Those two readings asked about bitcoin only. Gallup ties the decline to falling crypto values; this page does not test that.
| Survey and universe | Waves reported | Wording or method notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve SHED: any use in the past year; all adults | 2021: 12; 2022: 10; 2023: 7; 2024: 8; 2025: 10 | No wording change noted in the crypto section. |
| Pew: ever invested in, traded or used; all adults | Sept. 2021: 16; July 2022: 16; Mar. 2023: 17; Feb. 2024: 17; Jan. 2026: 19 | Same question text each wave. January 2026: primarily online, some phone. |
| Gallup: own crypto; investors with $10,000+ invested | 2018: 2; 2021: 6; 2025: 17; 2026: 11 | Bitcoin only in 2018 and 2021; bitcoin or another cryptocurrency from 2025. Adults: 2025: 14; 2026: 9. |
| FINRA Foundation: invested in crypto; investors outside retirement accounts | 2018: 12; 2021: 27; 2024: 27 | The text compares 2024 with 2021; the chart shows 2018. The 27% base may be crypto-aware investors only. |
How big is the market they own?
CoinGecko put the total crypto market at $2.90T on October 2, 2026, with bitcoin making up 58.69% of that value. These are market snapshots, not survey results. This page does not combine them with ownership shares because surveys count people and CoinGecko counts coin value.
14. Total crypto market capitalization: $2.90T
CoinGecko’s global data lists $2.90T as of October 2, 2026. Coin prices are on the crypto hub; see also cryptocurrency market statistics (WealthyBud data · CoinGecko global data · CoinGecko · October 2, 2026).
15. Bitcoin dominance: 58.69%; 21,782 active cryptocurrencies
CoinGecko reports bitcoin at 58.69% of total market capitalization and 21,782 active cryptocurrencies on October 2, 2026. Dominance is a share of market value, not of owners (WealthyBud data · CoinGecko global data · CoinGecko · October 2, 2026).
What this means for readers
For anyone quoting an ownership number, name the survey, question and group. 9% currently own it (Gallup) and 19% have ever used it (Pew) can both be true in the same year.
For investors, use Gallup’s and FINRA’s investor-only figures to see how common crypto is among people who already invest. For the stock side of the comparison, see stock ownership statistics.
For new buyers, remember that prices change daily. Before buying, read about fraud patterns in crypto scam statistics and check live prices on the crypto hub.
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