Fed: 9% of U.S. Adults Hold Digital Assets, 2% Use for Transactions

The U.S. Federal Reserve released its 2025 Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households report on October 13, revealing that one in ten American adults has held or used digital assets for financial transactions in the past year. However, investment activity far outpaces actual payment or remittance use, according to the survey of approximately 13,000 U.S. adults conducted in October 2025. The findings highlight a significant gap between digital asset adoption and functional use in everyday commerce.

Digital Asset Adoption vs. Transaction Use

According to the Fed report, 9% of U.S. adults purchased or held digital assets for investment purposes in the past year. In contrast, only 2% of adults reported using digital assets for financial transactions. Specifically, 2% used digital assets to pay for goods and services, while 1% used them to send money to friends or family.

Reasons for Digital Asset Adoption

Among those using digital assets for financial transactions, the primary motivations were:

• Recipient preference for digital assets: 26%
• Faster transfer speeds: 19%
• Privacy: 17%
• Fee reduction: 14%
• Lack of trust in banks: 7%

Digital Assets Among Unbanked Populations

The report found higher digital asset transaction usage among unbanked adults—those without traditional bank accounts. Six percent of unbanked adults used digital assets for financial transactions, compared to 2% of adults with bank accounts.

U.S. Household Financial Well-Being

The Fed report assessed that U.S. household financial conditions remained similar to the prior year. Seventy-three percent of survey respondents reported their financial situation as either “doing okay” or “living comfortably.”