Countries in Europe where crypto investment is booming

As bitcoin hits another all-time high, the world’s eyes are once again fixed on the crypto market. Europe in particular stands out amidst this global surge, given how the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework has made it one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory environments for crypto trading and investment. This fresh legal clarity combined with widespread digital literacy and access to robust banking infrastructure, positions Europe as one of the most dynamic crypto investment regions in the world. And the data supports this view. Across major European economies, double-digit percentages of adults now report owning or having owned crypto, and institutional adoption is beginning to follow.

In this article, we’ll explore the European countries where crypto investment is growing fastest, what’s driving investor interest, and how national markets differ across the region. 

Leading crypto markets across Europe

Several markets in Europe are experiencing a surge in crypto investment and ownership. The UK is still leading the region in on-chain activity, with about 12% of adults owning crypto assets and awareness levels over 90%, according to the FCA. According to data from Chainalysis, the UK ranks as the biggest crypto economy in Central, Northern, and Western Europe, having received around $217 billion in on-chain value between 2023 and 2024. Crypto regulation in the UK is still being defined, but the data doesn’t lie: crypto investment is becoming part of the mainstream conversation. In neighbouring France, the trend is similar: according to the 2024 ADAN/KPMG report, about 12% of French adults now own crypto, representing between €32 billion and €42 billion in total holdings.

Meanwhile, smaller European nations are quietly outpacing their size. Slovenia tops the list in the EU for relative adoption, with around 18% of the population owning crypto; Luxembourg and Cyprus are close behind, with 13–14% of the population owning crypto, according to the World Economic Forum. These compact, tech-savvy economies have benefited in recent years from flexible regulation, strong digital infrastructure, and a culture that embraces financial innovation. They show how Europe's crypto boom is based on growing populations of investors, from London to Ljubljana, who increasingly see digital assets as a legitimate part of their portfolios.

Macro drivers behind Europe’s crypto investment boom

Crypto investment is picking up in Europe thanks to a mix of economic, regulatory, and demographic factors that have put the region in a prime position for digital-asset growth. On a macro level, Europe now accounts for more than one-fifth of global on-chain transaction volume, with Central, Northern, and Western Europe (CNWE) processing over $987 billion in crypto value between mid-2023 and mid-2024, according to Chainalysis. At the same time, the European Central Bank estimates that households across the euro area collectively hold about €75 billion in crypto assets, a small but growing share of total financial wealth, evidence that digital assets are moving into mainstream portfolio allocation.

Three of the greatest factors spurring on crypto investment in Europe are regulatory clarity, digital infrastructure, and generational change. To begin with, the EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework, which came into effect on 30th December 2024, has given both exchanges and investors clear rules and consumer protection across all Member States. Europe also benefits from a digitally literate population where over 90% of adults in major markets like France, Germany and the UK are aware of crypto, and younger demographics are leading adoption. Several major banks across the region have also announced exploration of crypto- and stablecoin-related products in the past year, such as Germany’s Börse Stuttgart, which has recently expanded its regulated digital-asset platform for retail and institutional investors.

What does this mean for crypto investors?

The growing adoption of cryptocurrencies in Europe means greater market stability for crypto investors both in Europe and beyond the region’s borders. As mentioned above, the rollout of MiCA has created a level playing field across EU Member States and injected the region with confidence it may have lacked before over consumer protection measures. Markets such as the UK, France, and Slovenia are proving that interest is already there; what investors want now is access through regulated, reliable platforms. As more compliant exchanges enter the market and cross-border liquidity deepens, Europe could become one of the world’s most competitive regions for crypto trading and investment.

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