UK Crypto Ownership Falls, but Wealth Concentration Rises, FCA Poll Finds

• UK cryptocurrency ownership dropped to 8% in 2025 compared to 12% in the previous year.
• Wealth is becoming more concentrated as small-scale holdings decline while higher-value portfolios increase.
• The FCA is currently consulting on new industry regulations following the formal legal recognition of crypto as property.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published new consumer research as it opened three consultations on proposed crypto rules covering areas such as exchanges, staking, lending and decentralised finance, with feedback requested by February.

The regulator’s data, drawn from a YouGov survey of 2,353 UK adults conducted from Aug. 5 to Sept. 2, indicates fewer people now hold cryptocurrency. Reported ownership fell to 8% of the adult population in 2025, down from 12% in 2024. Even with that drop, the figure remains above the FCA’s 2021 reference point of 4%.

Related: ZachXBT Raises Red Flags Over New Soulja Boy–Promoted Memecoin

The news comes as the FCA is seeking help to shape a new set of rules intended to change how retailers engage with investment products, setting out plans to widen access while tightening protections around retail investors.

The UK also formally recognised Bitcoin and stablecoins as property in the country, thanks to the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025.

Crypto Concentration Rises

The FCA said the composition of holdings is shifting toward larger positions. It described a continuing trend where small-value ownership declines while higher-value ownership rises. 

In the survey results it cited, 21% of crypto holders reported portfolios worth US$1,343 to US$6,708 (AU$2,055 to AU$10,263), while 11% reported US$6,709 to US$13,416 (AU$10,265 to AU$20,526). 

The FCA added that respondents who use crypto lending and borrowing products tend to be more knowledgeable, more risk-tolerant, and more aware of FCA warnings than the average crypto user.

On what people hold, Bitcoin and Ether remained dominant: 57% of holders reported owning Bitcoin and 43% reported owning Ethereum. Other tokens were less common, though 21% of crypto holders said they owned Solana.

Read more: US$4 Trillion JPMorgan Pushes Deeper Into Crypto With Ethereum Money-Market Fund

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