Approximately 10% of US adults used or invested in cryptocurrency in 2025, the highest level of adoption recorded since 2021, according to a Federal Reserve report on the economic well-being of US households. The figure marks an increase from both 2023 and 2024, though it still falls short of the 12% peak seen in 2021 during the height of the crypto bull market. The breakdown of how Americans are using crypto reveals that investment remains the dominant use case by a wide margin, with around 9% of respondents identifying as crypto investors. Just 2% used crypto for payments and 1% used it to send money to family or friends, suggesting that despite years of effort from payment companies to mainstream crypto transactions, day-to-day usage remains limited for most holders.One notable finding from the report is the relatively higher crypto adoption rate among unbanked Americans.

Around 6% of unbanked adults used crypto for transactions compared to 2% of banked adults, reflecting how digital assets can serve as a financial access point for people excluded from the traditional banking system. Approximately 6% of Americans were unbanked in 2025. Among those who did use crypto for payments, more than 25% said the business they transacted with expressed a preference for crypto, citing advantages including speed, privacy, and lower transaction costs. The data suggests that where crypto payments are gaining traction, it is often because merchants are actively encouraging the option rather than consumers spontaneously choosing it over traditional payment methods.