Home Info-Graphs USA Leads The Way For Crypto Payments, Study Reveals

USA Leads The Way For Crypto Payments, Study Reveals

When you purchase through our sponsored links, we may earn a commission. By using this website you agree to our T&Cs.

Merchant Machine have conducted research into the global adoption of cryptocurrency by investigating which countries and cities have the highest growth in cryptocurrency use, as well as which types of businesses are accepting crypto as a method of payment.

USA, Ukraine And UK Lead The Way For Overall Cryptocurrency Use

Merchant Machine’s research revealed the USA, Ukraine and the United Kingdom as the countries with the highest overall crypto use.

Q2 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more

 

The top 10 countries for overall cryptocurrency use:
Country City Total number of crypto owners in the country Number of crypto owners (Percentage of the population) Global Decentralised Finance Adoption Index Number of businesses that accept crypto payments – Cafe, shops, sports, transport, lodging Number of Bitcoin ATMs Monthly search volume of cryptocurrency terms Overall crypto Score (out of 10)
USA Washington, D.C. 27,491,810 8.31% 9.63 6 33,212 35,468 7.75
Ukraine Kyiv 5,565,881 12.73% 9.26 26 42 2,894 5.96
United Kingdom London 3,360,591 4.95% 9.38 23 32 21,183 5.79
India New Delhi 100,740,320 7.30% 10.00 3 2 35,448 5.52
Thailand Bangkok 3,629,713 5.20% 9.51 39 5 1,875 5.30
Russia Moscow 17,379,175 11.91% 8.64 27 50 0 5.16
France Paris 2,179,654 3.34% 8.15 46 3 9,326 4.90
Netherlands Amsterdam 521,404 3.04% 7.90 34 20 784 4.83
Vietnam Hanoi 5,961,684 6.12% 9.75 0 8 953 4.69
Colombia Bogotá 3,122,449 6.14% 7.66 86 41 2,262 4.65

The USA is one of the most powerful economies in the world, so it’s not surprising to see it top the list when it comes to cryptocurrency use.

Ukraine has a far less powerful economy in comparison to the USA. It is ranked as the poorest country in Europe in terms of GDP per capita.

Ukraine’s emerging market may explain its high crypto use. Many emerging markets struggle with currency devaluation, which may push residents to invest in crypto as a way to preserve their savings.

Nigeria Predicted To Use The Most Crypto Over The Next Three Years

By investigating the percentage of people who either owned or used cryptocurrencies over the past three years in 50 different countries, Merchant Machine were able to predict the percentage who would be using crypto over the next three years.

Nigeria is at the top of the list, with an estimated 100% by 2030. This means that if crypto use continues to grow at its current rate, the entire population of Nigeria will be using cryptocurrencies!

Top 10 countries for predicted cryptocurrency use:
  Percentage of people who either owned or used cryptocurrencies (%) Prediction Data (%)
Country 2019 2020 2021 2023 2025 2030
Nigeria 28 32 42 55 69 100
Philippines 15 20 28 41 54 86
Thailand 23 18 31 36 44 64
Malaysia 6 12 16 26 36 61
India 7 9 15 22 30 50
Pakistan 6 6 14 21 29 49
Vietnam 22 21 27 31 36 48
Turkey 20 16 25 28 33 45
United States 6 6 13 19 26 43
South Africa 16 18 21 26 31 43

Bogotà, Colombia has the highest number of businesses accepting crypto payments

The capitals of Colombia, Venezuela and South Korea came out on top for the number of businesses accepting crypto payments.

In Bogotà, Colombia, an impressive total of 86 businesses accept crypto payments. Caracas, Venezuela came just behind at 58, and Seoul, South Korea totalled 47.

Top 10 countries for number of businesses accepting crypto payments:
  Types + number of businesses accepting crypto payments
Country City Lodging Shopping Sports Transport Cafes + food Total number
Colombia Bogotá 1 52 6 1 26 86
Venezuela Caracas 4 23 2 3 26 58
South Korea Seoul 9 13 1 1 23 47
France Paris 0 27 3 1 15 46
Greece Athens 1 34 1 2 5 43
Thailand Bangkok 2 10 17 1 9 39
Germany Berlin 5 17 1 2 14 39
Spain Madrid 2 13 3 4 13 35
Austria Vienna 8 11 4 2 9 34
Netherlands Amsterdam 4 13 0 2 15 34

Our Editorial Standards

At ValueWalk, we’re committed to providing accurate, research-backed information. Our editors go above and beyond to ensure our content is trustworthy and transparent.

Anna Peel
Editor

Want Financial Guidance Sent Straight to You?

  • Pop your email in the box, and you'll receive bi-weekly emails from ValueWalk.
  • We never send spam — only the latest financial news and guides to help you take charge of your financial future.