BCB Group & Crypto UK Host Adan’s 2026 European Crypto-Asset Barometer

Adan’s 2026 European Crypto-Asset Barometer, produced in partnership with Ipsos and launched at an exclusive briefing co-hosted by BCB Group, maps crypto adoption across six European countries.

The study found that crypto is going mainstream on paper, but not in people’s pockets. While 93% of Europeans have heard of at least one crypto-asset, ownership remains low. In the UK, just 16% of people hold crypto, and that gap between awareness and action is precisely where the opportunity lies.

Surprisingly, crypto ownership in the UK has dropped from 19% to 16% year-on-year, bucking the European trend. Germany and the Netherlands, for example, are both seeing rising adoption, at 17% and 20% respectively.

The UK lacks a regulatory framework comparable to the EU’s MiCA regulation, a gap that industry participants believe is putting investors off and contributing to the country’s declining ownership figures.

Where regulatory clarity does exist, usage figures are up significantly; 50% of UK and German stablecoin holders have used them to make a payment, suggesting crypto-assets are evolving into everyday financial tools rather than purely speculative assets.

Yet despite growing usage, trust remains a barrier to wider adoption.Claire Balva, Managing Director of Adan, said:

“People are looking for familiarity. They would trust their bank more than a crypto wallet.”

BCB Group, which co-hosted the briefing, sees the opportunity clearly. Sam Shrager, Chief Marketing Officer at BCB Group, said:

“These findings are again an indication that crypto is the future of finance. We are seeing that in our revenue, our flow and the appetite for new products from our clients.”

The typical European crypto holder is not a speculator, allocating around 14% of their savings to digital assets, with 80% holding a portfolio worth less than €5,000 and transacting less than once a month. These are careful savers adding crypto alongside traditional investments, not replacing them.

Despite current ownership levels, the appetite for growth is clear. 32% of Europeans who do not own crypto are open to buying it, with 43% of prospective holders stating they would switch banks for one offering crypto services. The demand is there; it just needs the right infrastructure and trust to unlock it.

BCB Group provides the regulated, institutional-grade infrastructure businesses need to move with confidence in this space, operating across both fiat and digital markets, and bridging the gap between old and new finance.

Read Adan’s full report here