Crypto: France becomes one of the leaders in adoption!

The latest figures have been released, and France is accelerating its crypto adoption. Now, one in eight French people owns crypto-assets in 2024, a staggering increase of 28% in one year. However, the outlook remains uncertain for 2025 with a resurgence of doubts.

A spectacular boom driven by the French youth 

The sharp growth in crypto holders in France is mainly driven by those under 35. This age group now represents 57% of investors, compared to only 50% the previous year. In addition, a gap is widening between men (70%) and women (30%) in the ownership of these digital assets. This imbalance could be explained by a stronger appetite of young men for new technologies and risk-taking. 

Concurrently, the enthusiasm for bitcoin, the historical benchmark, continues unabated with 64% of French enthusiasts in 2024 versus 49% a year earlier. However, other cryptocurrencies like stablecoins (6%) and NFTs (6%) are also gaining popularity with the general public, indicating a diversification of interests beyond the primary crypto.

Varied motivations but an appetite still present for crypto

While the quest for financial returns remains the main driver with 46% of devotees, other reasons underlie the French attraction to crypto. Thus, 34.4% perceive them as a safe haven, up by 4.4 points in a year. This concept takes root in an unstable economic context where cryptos become an alternative to traditional fiat currencies.

Additionally, ideological reasons, viewing crypto assets as having uses beyond investment, are gradually emerging with the growing awareness of their revolutionary potential for disintermediation. Despite all, the recent bankruptcies of FTX or Genesis have sown a limited wind of doubt, since 23% of French people still consider acquiring them soon. Furthermore, the figures are telling with investments between 32.5 and 42.5 billion euros by the French in crypto in 2024, an increase of 60% in one year, confirming an appetite that is still current.

All in all, the long-awaited shift happened in 2024. Long lagging behind, France has now caught up with its European neighbours in terms of crypto adoption. Nevertheless, with only 12% of holders, the Hexagon is still slightly below countries like the Netherlands (17%) or the United Kingdom (16%). But the movement is now well underway and cryptos have bright days ahead of them in France, provided they smoothly navigate the upcoming market turbulence.

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