For What—and How—Do People Use Bitcoin?

Is bitcoin being saved? Spent? Stored? All of the above?

In Week 3 of the Cornell Global Bitcoin Adoption study, we asked: What does it actually mean to “use” bitcoin?

Across 24 countries:

💰 Most allocate less than 25% of their savings to bitcoin

💸 1 in 3 owners transact with bitcoin weekly

🔐 Most don’t understand the difference between custodial and non-custodial wallets

What we found is that use varies by context. In some places, bitcoin is an investment. In others, it’s a lifeline. This isn’t just about transactions—it’s about beliefs, behaviors, and economic agency.

Bitcoin may be for anyone, but, today, it’s not being adopted by everyone.

Across 25 countries, we asked a simple question: Who actually owns Bitcoin?

The answers reveal a clear—and uneven—pattern shaped by trust, identity, access, and need:

- ✅ Owners are more likely to be men, aged 30–44, working in the private sector

- 🇯🇵 In Japan, 88% have never owned Bitcoin

- 🇸🇻 In El Salvador, just 28% say the same

The numbers tell a powerful story.

Let’s unpack who’s in, and who’s still left out.

A majority of people say they’ve heard of bitcoin. Very few can explain it.

Awareness ≠ knowledge ≠ understanding. Bitcoin has a branding moat, not a knowledge base.

📌 85% (290M) of Americans say they’ve heard of bitcoin.

📌 38% (128M) of Americans feel knowledgeable about bitcoin.

📌 6% (20M) of Americans know there will only ever be 21 million.

Even in bitcoin-forward nations, its core property is nearly universally unknown - even among users.

This week, we explore the gap between awareness, knowledge, & understanding and why it matters.

📢 Over the next 10 weeks, we’re sharing findings from one of the most comprehensive global studies ever conducted on bitcoin and financial freedom supported by Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and The Reynolds Foundation.

✅ 25,000 people

🌍 25 countries

📊 250 interviews

1️⃣ question: What does bitcoin reveal about the state of trust, agency, and economic possibility in the world today?

For the first time in recent history, we’re watching a monetary system spread not by force but by choice.

Not through war.

Not through colonization.

Not through central banks or capital controls.

But through voluntary adoption, one phone, one wallet, one person at a time.

What does that mean for the future of money and freedom?

I'm immensely proud to have brought together over 250 diverse voices, all driven by one powerful mission: Redefine Possible.

A crucial element of our event was demystifying Bitcoin and empowering women and girls to see themselves as active participants in this exciting community. We were inspired by incredible women in Bitcoin who shared their experiences and shattered barriers, truly redefining what's possible in the world of digital finance.

Mario Kart: Double Sats was a success at the grand opening of the Tokyo Bitcoin Base 🍄