Nearly 25% of APAC Adults With Internet Access Could Own Crypto, Report Finds
A report by CoinDesk and Protocol Theory shows that nearly a quarter of adults with internet access in the Asia Pacific region may hold cryptocurrency, though adoption is still limited by usability and accessibility challenges.
The study surveyed 4,020 adults across 10 countries—including India, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Australia, Japan, and the UAE—and extrapolated the findings to the broader APAC population. Limited access to traditional financial services continues to drive crypto adoption, while stablecoins are held by roughly 18% of adults in emerging markets.
The report emphasizes that future growth depends on integrating digital assets into daily life. “Participation is increasingly shaped by usability, integration, and inclusion rather than speculation,” it notes. “Stablecoins, remittances, and tokenized assets are forming practical foundations for a cross-border digital economy supported by enabling regulatory frameworks.”
Survey results show that about half of adults aware of cryptocurrency plan to use it within the next year. Respondents were aged 18–64, internet-connected, and previously familiar with crypto.
While traditional financial services remain easy to use, the complexity of wallets, exchanges, and token transfers continues to slow adoption.
Regulation is emerging as a critical factor in building trust. Over 70% of adults in emerging markets—including the UAE, India, China, the Philippines, and Thailand—consider regulation important, compared with around 66% in Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore, and under 50% in Japan.
“In emerging economies, regulation bridges institutional gaps and signals legitimacy,” the report says. “In mature markets, it mainly serves to manage risk rather than drive adoption.”
