Madrid – A new study by the European Central Bank (ECB) reveals that the number of crypto-asset owners in Spain has more than doubled over the past two years. In 2024, 9% of Spaniards reported owning crypto-assets, a notable increase from 4% in 2022. This trend aligns with the average growth seen in the eurozone.
The findings, part of the ‘Survey on Consumer Payment Attitudes in the Euro Area’, show that the overall percentage of respondents within the eurozone who claimed to possess crypto-assets has also risen from 4% in 2022 to 9% in 2024—a figure the ECB considers relatively low.
Among the twenty eurozone nations, only 13 reported crypto ownership levels exceeding 10%. Slovenia leads with 15%, followed closely by Greece at 14%. Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, and Austria each recorded a rate of 13%.
Conversely, Germany and the Netherlands have the lowest rates of crypto-asset ownership at 6% each, followed by Estonia at 7% and Lithuania at 8%.
Spaniards’ 9% ownership aligns with averages in France and Italy; however, in 2022, only about 3% of the French and slightly over 2% of Italians reported owning crypto-assets.
The ECB’s survey indicates a demographic trend, showing that individuals aged 25 to 39 are the most likely to own crypto-assets, followed by those aged 18 to 24.
Despite this rising interest, the ECB underscores that overall adoption rates remain relatively low among the general public.
The survey further reveals that among crypto-asset holders, a significant majority (54%) view them primarily as an investment, 16% use them for payments exclusively, and 19% utilize them for both purposes.
However, there is considerable variation by country regarding the use of crypto-assets for investment versus payment. For instance, 90% of respondents in the Netherlands reported using crypto-assets solely for investment, with just 2% using them exclusively for payments. Similarly, in Germany, 82% said they use crypto-assets purely for investments, while only 6% use them solely as a payment method.
In France, the gap between the two uses is smaller, with 57% using them exclusively for investment and 25% for payments. In Spain, the figures are similar: 57% use them solely for investment, and 19% for payments.
Furthermore, among those who utilize crypto-assets for both purposes, Lithuania has the highest percentage at 30%, followed by Cyprus and Belgium at 29%. In Spain, 20% of crypto-asset holders indicated that they use them for both investment and payments. (December 26)
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