India Leads Global Crypto Adoption in 2025 Driven by Retail Use and Remittances

Source: CryptoTale Original Title: India Leads Global Countries in Crypto Ownership Worldwide Original Link:

• India ranked first globally in 2025 crypto adoption driven by retail use and remittances.
• Asia-Pacific was fastest growing region as India, Vietnam and Pakistan fueled volumes.
• Mobile payments, remittances and youth demographics sustained India’s crypto scale.

India ranked first in global crypto adoption in 2025, according to report released during the year. The ranking looked at how people actually use crypto, including transaction volumes and everyday participation across major economies. India came out on top due to widespread retail use, strong remittance activity, and heavy reliance on mobile crypto apps while the Asia-Pacific region saw fast growth in 2025.

India’s Adoption Metrics Set the Global Pace

India ranked first on the Global Crypto Adoption Index in 2025 with a top score of 1.000, placing it ahead of every other country in overall crypto adoption. Back in 2023, about 93.5 million people in India owned some form of cryptocurrency, the largest number of users anywhere. Even though this represents just 6.33 percent of the population, India’s massive population size pushed it ahead of every other country globally.

The United States ranked second with an index score of 0.671 and 52.9 million crypto owners. In the U.S. crypto use runs deeper, with about 15.15 percent of people owning digital assets, largely thanks to strong interest from big investors and institutions.

Pakistan followed with a 0.619 score, while Vietnam, Brazil, and Nigeria filled out the rest of the top six. Nigeria ranked sixth overall and topped Africa, with around 13.3 million people using crypto, or 5.47 percent of its population.

Vietnam stood out for a different reason: more than one in five people there, about 20.5 percent, own crypto. These differences show that countries are turning to crypto for very different reasons, which naturally brings the focus back to India’s unique strengths.

Asia-Pacific was the fastest-growing crypto region through June 2025. Regional on-chain activity increased 69 percent year over year. Total transaction volume rose to $2.36 trillion from $1.4 trillion mainly driven by India, Vietnam, and Pakistan.

North America processed over $2.2 trillion in crypto transactions while Europe exceeded $2.6 trillion. However, Asia-Pacific growth outpaced both regions. This growth context explains why India’s domestic dynamics mattered so strongly.

Grassroots Usage and Infrastructure Fuel India’s Lead

Crypto use in India is mostly about daily money needs, not quick trading bets. A big reason is remittances, since Indians abroad send home over $100 billion every year. Using crypto can be faster and cheaper than banks or money transfer services.

Economic pressure also matters. A study by IIM Bangalore found that families who expect prices to keep rising are more likely to turn to Bitcoin and stablecoins. Low returns on savings and an unstable currency have pushed people to look for other options.

India’s digital setup makes this easier. More than 800 million people use smartphones, mobile internet is affordable, and digital payments are already normal. The UPI system processes over 10 billion transactions each month.

Because of this, crypto use has spread beyond major cities into wider parts of the country. 75 percent of crypto activity originated from Tier-2, Tier-3, and Tier-4 cities. This geographic spread shows sustained grassroots participation rather than concentrated urban trading.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for 13 percent of invested value, surpassing Maharashtra. Lucknow recorded a fivefold rise in Ethereum trading. Pune and Jaipur also saw sharp growth in Solana and Ethereum volumes.

Demographics, Regulation and Exchange Activity

Over 50 percent of India’s population is under 30 years old. Notably, 72 percent of Indian crypto investors are under 35. Gen Z represents 37.6 percent, while millennials account for 37.3 percent.

The average investor age rose from 25 to 32, indicating market maturation. Women make up about 12 percent of crypto investors, which still translates to millions of people. Participation is higher among certain groups, especially IT professionals and freelancers who earn money from overseas clients.

India’s crypto platforms are built to handle this demand. Major local exchanges serve over 25 million users collectively, with some platforms reaching 16 million users and others reaching 15 million users. Since 2023, all exchanges have been required to register with FIU-IND and follow know-your-customer rules.

Crypto taxes in India are strict. Any profits are taxed at a flat 30 percent, and every transaction also carries a 1 percent tax deducted at source. The tax-at-source mechanism reduced high-frequency trading and encouraged longer holding periods.

Regulation is fragmented but defined. Crypto in India is allowed to buy, sell, and hold, but it’s not treated as official money. Rules are still being worked out, and different agencies like the Finance Ministry, RBI, FIU-IND, and possibly SEBI are involved in oversight as the full framework develops.

India ranks first in crypto adoption thanks to widespread usage, activity across the country, and steady transaction growth through June 2025. Strong demographics, rising interest across Asia-Pacific, and access to regulated exchanges helped drive this. India also has the world’s largest crypto user base, powering much of the region’s growth.