Crypto ownership in UK drops but bigger bets on Bitcoin, Ether emerge
FCA–YouGov data show UK crypto ownership fell from 12% to 8% in 2025, but larger Bitcoin and Ether positions signal rising concentration among committed investors.
- Ownership is now 8% of UK adults (2,353 surveyed), double 2021 levels but sharply below 2024’s 12%, pointing to cooling retail participation.
- More holders sit in the £1,001–£10,000 bracket, and 57% own bitcoin while 43% hold ether, with altcoins far behind, indicating a shift to blue‑chip assets.
- The FCA released the survey as it opened consultations on rules for exchanges, staking, lending and DeFi, with feedback due by February under the UK’s wider crypto framework plans.
Cryptocurrency ownership among UK adults fell to 8% in 2025, down from 12% in 2024, according to survey results published by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK stablecoins and MiCA
The YouGov survey, commissioned by the FCA, was based on 2,353 interviews conducted between August 5 and September 2. Despite the decline, the current ownership rate remains double the 4% recorded in 2021, the data showed.
Ownership rates were higher among men at 11% compared with women, according to the survey. The highest concentration of cryptocurrency holders was among people aged 18 to 34, with 15% reporting ownership of digital assets.
The survey revealed a shift in portfolio sizes among cryptocurrency holders. Twenty-one percent of respondents held cryptocurrencies valued between £1,001 and £5,000, while 11% reported holdings worth between £5,001 and £10,000, according to the FCA data.
“More people are moving away from small holdings and are instead making larger investments,” the FCA stated in the report. The regulator added that participants in lending and borrowing activities “tend to be more knowledgeable, more comfortable with risk, and more aware of our warnings than the average crypto user.”
Among survey participants who confirmed cryptocurrency ownership, approximately 57% reported holding bitcoin, while 43% held ether, the survey found. Ownership of alternative cryptocurrencies was significantly lower compared to the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
The FCA published the survey results on the same day it launched three consultations on regulations covering exchanges, staking, lending, and decentralized finance. The financial regulator requested feedback from interested parties by February as part of the UK government’s initiative to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.
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