A Modern-Day Gold Rush: Eye-Opening Cryptocurrency Statistics

Invented in 2009 by pseudonymous developer Satoshi Nakamoto, decentralized cryptocurrencies are not the newest of technologies. However, over the past years, digital currencies have gained so much traction that they have triggered a genuine modern-day gold rush. 

Today, there are over 10,000 cryptocurrencies in circulation, and they are revolutionizing the way we look at finance, the stock market, transactions, and investments. 

• As of March 2026, the global crypto market capitalization is $2.33 trillion.
• There are more than 39,000 crypto ATMs in the world in 2026.
• Bitcoin dominates over 58.1% of the cryptocurrency market in 2026.
• More than 700 million people worldwide own cryptocurrencies.
• In 2025, Bitcoin mining requires over 175.87 terawatt-hours of electricity per year.

The global crypto market capitalization is $2.33 trillion.

(CoinMarketCap)

On December 17th 2024, the cryptocurrency market cap reached an all-time high of $3.72 trillion.

The number of global cryptocurrencies went from 66 to more than 10,000 between 2013 and 2024.

(Statista)

Cryptos such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Binance Coin are extremely popular and widespread. However, these coins nearly everyone has heard of only comprise a small percentage of over 10,000 cryptocurrencies in existence today.

Most of these have minimal trading volume or following, but some are reshaping the future of the world’s economy.

As of March 2026, Bitcoin holds a market dominance of 58.1%.

(CoinMarketCap)

Bitcoin is the first decentralized digital currency supported by blockchain technology. Because of its history, it continues to inspire the trust of investors, which has been driving up its value.

With a market cap of nearly 1.36 trillion US dollars, Bitcoin completely dominates the market. It’s followed by Ethereum, which benefits from a 10.6% dominance, and other coins such as Solana and XRP.

There are more than 39,000 crypto ATMs in the world in 2026.

(Coin ATM Radar)

The United States now hosts 30,296 crypto ATMs, followed by Canada at 3,917.

The total crypto spot trading volume increased by 142% in 2024.

(Finance Magnates)

2024 was a massive year for cryptocurrencies, as the total total spot trading volume across major exchanges reached $2.14 trillion by December, with Binance holding a market dominance with a 47% of market share.

As of March 2026 there are over 932 spot crypto exchanges with an average total daily volume of nearly $93.19 billion.

(CoinMarketCap) 

One of the reasons behind the sudden popularity of cryptos is the increased accessibility of trading platforms and global crypto exchanges.

Cryptocurrency User Numbers

It can be difficult to visualize the enormous market capitalization and monetary transaction value involved with cryptocurrencies. What is easier to understand is the number of people around the world using digital currencies.

The advent of peer-to-peer trading platforms and retail investors and a generational shift have caused a sharp rise in the number of first-time crypto investors. Here is what’s happening around the world.

There were more than 90 million blockchain wallet users in 2025.

(Blockchain.com)

Blockchain or digital wallets are essential instruments needed by crypto owners and users to store and manage their crypto. As the number of blockchain wallets skyrocketed in the past few years, this gives a clear snapshot of the increase in popularity of crypto as a form of payment. 

There are more than 700 million cryptocurrency owners worldwide in 2026.

(Triple-A)

The data from 2024 showed that the United Arab Emirates had the highest percentage of crypto owners (25.3%), followed by Singapore at 24.4% and Türkiye at 19.3%.

Only 17% of Americans have ever invested in cryptocurrencies by the end of 2024.

(PEW Research Center)

What's interesting is that during the last year, among those that have invested before, 61% percent still owned cryptocurrencies, which was down from 69% in 2023.

19% of small businesses in the US accept cryptocurrency payments in 2026.

(J.D. Power)

The most recent study found that the number of merchants accepting crypto has increased by 4 percentage points compared to 2025.

Market volatility is cited by 50% of small-business owners as the primary reason against adopting cryptocurrencies.

(Skynova)

Other reasons for opposing the introduction of crypto include high risk (45%), lack of governmental support (36%), limited knowledge about cryptocurrencies (34%), cryptocurrencies being too new (34%), and not being able to pay employees in crypto (28%).

Los Angeles and Houston are the most all-around crypto-friendly cities in the US.

(Investopedia)

Cryptocurrencies are considered the currency of the future - they enable you to complete transactions seamlessly, immediately, and without significant fees. However, this future is impossible without society adopting cryptos as a universal form of payment. 

Some cities in the US have already undergone a substantial digital transformation and now boast a large number of cryptocurrency ATMs, crypto-friendly restaurants, and crypto-accepting retailers.

34% of cryptocurrency owners worldwide are aged 25 to 34.

(Triple-A)

The younger generations are easily the most invested in the crypto market, as the second largest group are people aged 35 to 44, with a 31% share of ownership in 2024.

61% of all crypto owners are male.

(Triple-A)

While the gender gap in the overall ownership is massive, it is surprisingly low among the youngest investors, with owners aged 18 to 24 only having 2% more male owners compared to women.

Cryptocurrency Security Data

Bitcoin wasn’t the first digital currency ever created. However, it was the first one to be supported by the underpinning blockchain technology, which allowed for fast, secure, and tamper-proof recording of transactions. 

Thanks to several layers of security, this technology has granted Bitcoin - and other cryptos - the ability to function as a secure currency. Nonetheless, cryptos aren’t immune to cybercrime. 

In 2024, cryptojacking incidents dropped by 60%.

(SonicWall)

While the number is encouraging, we should note that the year before there was a staggering increase of 659% in 2023. And while the global trend for 2024 was positive, India saw a massive increase of 409% in cryptojackings.

In 2025, global crypto thefts accounted for a loss of $3.4 billion.

(Peckshield)

The latest report indicates that North Korean hackers alone stole at least $2.02 billion in 2025.

Investors who are 20-49 years old are five times more likely to fall victim to crypto scams than investors from other age groups.

(Federal Trade Commission)

No investors are entirely immune to crypto fraud. However, since cryptocurrencies are particularly attractive to younger, inexperienced, and first-time investors, it’s no wonder this age group is also most prone to various crypto scams.

Investment scams in the US amounted to $7.9 billion in losses in 2025.

(Federal Trade Commission)

The latest data from the Federal Trade Commission found that consumers reported losing the most money to investment scams in 2025.

The Environmental Impact of Cryptocurrency

While cryptocurrencies are reshaping the world of finance and the global economy, innovation doesn’t come without risks or downsides. One of the main disadvantages of this technology is the amount of energy it requires to run. 

Bitcoin mining requires over 175.87 terawatt-hours of electricity per year in 2025.

(Statista)

Bitcoin’s massive ecological footprint is one of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of its broader adoption. Some crypto communities, such as that of Ethereum, are aware of this problem and are actively working on reducing the negative impact of Ether on the environment.

A single crypto transaction uses as much electrical energy as nearly a million and a half Visa transactions.

(Digiconomist)

Every time a user trades cryptocurrency, deposits cash in a Bitcoin ATM, or pays for goods with crypto tokens, over 2,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity are used. This is the same amount of electricity needed by an average US household for over 72 days.

Cryptocurrency mining is projected to generate 0.7% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions by 2027.

(IMF)

If proven correct, this would amount to a staggering 450 million metric tons of CO₂.

The Future of Cryptocurrency

Digital currencies and their underpinning technologies are new systems, which have not yet been fully explored. Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are reshaping healthcare, the world of fast-moving consumer goods, the global supply chain, and financial transactions.

While not everything can be forecasted, here are some of the most important trends for the future.

About 27% of Americans support the adoption of Bitcoin as a legal tender.

(YouGov)

El Salvador was the first country to officially adopt Bitcoin as a legal tender in September 2021. Other countries are working to follow suit, and just under 30% of people in the US support the adoption of Bitcoin as a legal tender. 

The cryptocurrency market revenue is projected to reach $45.3 billion.

(Statista)

The United States is expected to lead the world in crypto revenues this year, with more than $9.4 billion.

Nearly 30% of investors believe that crypto regulations will increase its value, reduce volatility, and curb the risk of scams.

(GWI)

As we have seen, in most countries, cryptocurrencies and crypto transactions are not regulated by an authority. While this gives plenty of privacy and freedom to crypto investors, on the flip side, it makes crypto a high-risk, highly volatile investment. 

As more countries work to regulate the crypto market, over a third of investors believe that these developments will improve the value of their coins.

Fifteen percent of crypto investors and 22% of potential investors don’t trust any institution to regulate cryptocurrency.

(GWI)

While there are many benefits that come with the introduction of regulations - a cryptocurrency authority would be able to reduce the tokens’ volatility, curb scam risk, etc. - over 15% of today’s crypto investors don’t trust any governmental institution to regulate cryptocurrency and would prefer for it to remain unregulated.

The approval of Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 and 2025 saw the highest inflow of institutional funds, with global bitcoin ETF AUM reaching approximately $179.5 billion by mid-July 2025.

(Nasdaq)

This made Bitcoin one of the strongest institutional growth stories in digital assets, indicating that 2026 may be the critical year for global crypto adoption.

Some 34% of crypto projects used AI in the building process in 2024.

(Andreessen Horowitz)

The number has gone up from 27% in 2023, and the most common use of AI techonology in crypto projects is in the blockchain infrastructure.