Report Finds Global ...

Report Finds Global Bitcoin Ownership at 4%, Claims Adoption “Just Beginning”

By Jody McDonald March 10, 2025 In Bitcoin, Market Analysis

A globe with Bitcoin symbols embedded in its surface, surrounded by a network of connections, representing the global reach of cryptocurrency. Generative AI. — Source:AdobeStock

A report from Bitcoin analytics firm, River Financial, has found that only four per cent of the global population currently owns Bitcoin, suggesting significant room for growth.
The report found significant variability in ownership rates from region to region, with North America having the highest rate at 14 per cent and Africa the lowest at one per cent.
The report also found that Bitcoin has only achieved around three per cent of its maximum possible level of adoption, likening its current level of adoption to the internet in 1990.

Only four per cent (4%) of people on Earth own Bitcoin according to a new report from Bitcoin analytics firm, River Financial.

The report also found that ownership rates vary significantly from region to region, with North America having the highest ownership rate of 14% and Africa having the lowest at around 1%. Bitcoin ownership was generally found to be higher in regions that are more economically developed.

The report suggests that what it refers to as ‘Bitcoin adoption’ is at only around 3% of its maximum potential — this figure reflects not just individual ownership rates, but takes into account Bitcoin’s market share compared to its total addressable market (TAM) and the level of institutional investment. It predicts that Bitcoin adoption is set to accelerate as more of the global population gain access to digital assets and institutions and nation states ramp up their adoption.

“Bitcoin Adoption Is Just Beginning”, Claims Report

River Financial believes there’s still “significant room for adoption” of Bitcoin by individuals. They attribute the relatively low rate of individual ownership to a number of factors, explaining that those yet to FOMO into Bitcoin “may lack sufficient knowledge about Bitcoin’s value proposition or access to trustworthy bitcoin on-ramps and custodians”.

In terms of Bitcoin’s overall adoption, the firm’s report likens its current state to that of the internet in 1990 or social media in 2005.

The report claims the OG cryptocurrency has achieved less than 1% of its potential total addressable market, which it (perhaps optimistically) claims is 50% of total global store of value assets — an estimated value of US$225 trillion (Bitcoin currently has a market cap of around US$1.5 trillion).

The report also argues that institutions are massively under-invested in Bitcoin — pointing out that US investment advisors currently only have “net bitcoin allocation” of 0.006%, while Bitcoin’s market cap currently represents 0.2% of the world’s wealth.

Increasing this to bitcoin’s current percentage of global wealth (0.2%) would require a 36X rise in exposure, equating to (US)$249 billion in investment.

River Financial Bitcoin Adoption Report 2025

Overall the report argues that we’re still very much in the early stages of Bitcoin adoption and we’re likely to see adoption accelerate significantly over the next few years driven not only by improved accessibility and education for individuals but also by large-scale adoption by institutions and nation-states.