U.S. Crypto Ownership Falls to 11%

Cryptocurrency holding is declining among American investors. According to a Gallup survey published on September 21, 11% of them reported holding cryptos in June, down from 17% a year earlier. Despite this decline, bitcoin has strongly rebounded since the survey period.

Crypto holding declines among investors

Gallup surveyed 2,043 American adults between June 1 and 15, including 1,048 investors with more than $10,000 in investable assets. Among them, 11% reported owning cryptocurrencies, down from 17% in 2025. The margin of error is four points.

Among all American adults, the proportion also falls from 14% to 9%. However, it remains higher than levels observed in 2021 and 2018, where holdings reached 6% and 2% respectively.

This decline is accompanied by decreased interest. In June, 66% of investors said they were not interested in cryptocurrencies, compared to 63% a year earlier.

Meanwhile, River estimated in July that 49.6 million is the number of bitcoin holders in the United States, representing 18.6% of adults.

Young investors drop off more

The decline appears in several categories, but some are more affected than others. Among men aged 18 to 49, holding falls from 33% to 24%. Those aged 18-29 also record a steep drop, from 18% to 8%.

Differences are also visible based on income. Among households earning less than $48,000 per year, holding falls from 12% to only 4%. It declines to 15% among the highest-income households.

The perceived risk level remains high. According to the Gallup survey published September 21, 63% of investors perceive cryptos as “very risky” and 31% as “somewhat risky.”

These perceptions are not limited to non-holders: 77% of investors who own cryptos also consider them very risky.

Figures that vary according to methodologies

Different studies on crypto do not always yield the same results, particularly because they do not measure exactly the same thing.

The Fed thus indicates that 10% of American adults used cryptos in 2025, including 9% for investing and 2% for making payments.

The timing of these surveys may also explain some discrepancies. The Gallup study was conducted from June 1 to 15, when bitcoin was trading around $59,000. As of September 23, its price is about $86,160, an increase of nearly 46% since the survey period.

The next measurement will therefore show if this bitcoin rebound was accompanied by renewed interest from American investors. 

For now, Gallup’s figures mainly show a decline in holding and consistently high caution. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley identifies six signals that could indicate the crypto bear market is nearing its end.