Europe’s crypto adoption gains regional momentum; Who’s investing the most?

Crypto ownership in Europe has been a rocky year in 2025, though it notably experienced a major regulatory clarity in the year.

Primarily more than 90% of people aged 18 and over in major European economies are aware of cryptocurrencies.

According to a survey conducted by the European Central Bank, 9% of adults in the eurozone owned crypto assets in 2024.

Among the eurozone countries, ownership ranges from 6% in the Netherlands and Germany to 15% in Slovenia-although the differentiation across countries is remarkably modest.

Crypto ownership increased more than twofold

Ownership of crypto assets rose in almost every eurozone country between 2022 and 2024. The Netherlands was the only country where the rate remained the same; additionally,2022 is only available for Croatia.

The ownership rose from 4% in 2022 to 9% in 2024. Greece and Lithuania recorded the biggest jumps, each rising by 10 percentage points. It was also observed that Cyprus, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Slovakia, Portugal, and Italy also saw a surge of 7 points.

This growing confidence is attributed to the cyclical return of global market momentum, but critically the consumer protection afforded by the Markets in Crypto-Assets(MiCA) regulation.

The shares of people using crypto-assets primarily for investment is highest in the Netherlands (90%) and Germany (82%) even though both countries have some of the lowest ownership rates in the eurozone. Meanwhile, the highest share for payment usage is in France (25%).

The crypto market remains speculative

The bifurcation between investment and payment purposes underscores that the crypto market remains highly speculative and investment-focussed.

Despite the rise in institutional adoption, most European consumers are not utilizing crypto for daily transactions.

Nonetheless, the long term shift towards utility will depend on the success of MiCA markets in crypto-assets and its seamless integration into existing payment infrastructures.

Crypto ownership in Europe has transitioned from a higher-risk craze into a mature, institutional, and regulated market.