Key Takeaways
- • Henley & Partners' Crypto Wealth Report 2026 counts 742 million crypto owners, roughly 9% of the world's estimated 8.2 billion people, while Triple-A's 2024 survey puts the figure at 562 million, or about 6.9%.
- • Memeburn calculates that China (250.67 million stock investors at end-2025), India (130 million NSE investors in April 2026) and the US (about 165 million stock owners, estimated from Gallup's 62% adult figure) together hold roughly 546 million stock investors, a total comparable to crypto's headcount.
- • Crypto's total market value of about $2.96 trillion at end-September 2026 (CoinGecko) is roughly 1.9% of listed equities ($151.94 trillion, WFE) and about 10% of above-ground gold (about $29 trillion, World Gold Council).
- • Spread across 742 million holders, crypto's market value works out to roughly $4,000 per owner, indicating that breadth of ownership has not yet translated into depth of capital.
- • Ownership remains concentrated in wealthy financial hubs, with the highest national rates at about 25.3% in the UAE and 24.4% in Singapore, far below the 62% of US adults who own stocks.
Summary
According to Henley & Partners' Crypto Wealth Report 2026, about 742 million people hold some form of digital asset, roughly 9% of a world population of about 8.2 billion. Of those holders, 371 million hold Bitcoin. The more conservative Triple-A survey put the figure at 562 million in 2024, or about 6.9% of the world, according to CoinCentral's roundup of ownership estimates. The gap largely reflects methodology: some counts blend exchange accounts and on-chain data, while others rely on national surveys, and one person may hold several wallets across several exchanges.
Memeburn compared these figures with equity ownership in the three largest retail markets. China had 250.67 million stock investors with active accounts at the end of 2025, according to the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation as reported by 36Kr. India's National Stock Exchange passed 130 million unique registered investors in April 2026, according to Outlook Money. In the US, 62% of adults said they owned stock in 2025, according to Gallup, which Memeburn estimates at about 165 million people. Combined, Memeburn puts these three markets at roughly 546 million stock investors, meaning Henley's crypto count is about 36% higher, while Triple-A's lower figure is roughly equal. Memeburn notes the comparison has limits: stock counts are unique registered investors, crypto counts are estimates, and the US figure includes people who own shares only through retirement plans.
By value, crypto remains small. CoinGecko's Q3 2026 report put crypto's total market capitalization at about $2.96 trillion at the end of September, against $151.94 trillion for listed equities worldwide at the end of 2025 (World Federation of Exchanges) and about $29 trillion for the roughly 222,600 tonnes of above-ground gold (World Gold Council). On Memeburn's calculation, crypto's value averages about $4,000 per holder, and the typical balance is likely lower given Henley's count of 135,694 crypto millionaires and 23 billionaires at the top of the distribution. The World Gold Council's retail surveys found that 73% of retail investors in China and 68% in India have bought gold at some point, compared with 40% in the US.
Crypto ownership also remains concentrated in wealthy financial centers. Henley's top-ranked crypto countries are Singapore, the UAE, Hong Kong, the US and Switzerland. Triple-A's figures put the highest national ownership rates at about 25.3% in the UAE and 24.4% in Singapore. Meanwhile, 1.3 billion adults worldwide lack an account at a bank or mobile-money provider, according to the World Bank's Global Findex 2025 figures as summarized by BIIA, outnumbering crypto holders by about 1.75 to one. Memeburn argues that the most useful metric going forward is average balance per holder, and that a shift toward stock-market-like participation in any major country would first appear in the share of household wealth held in crypto.
Memeburn compared these figures with equity ownership in the three largest retail markets. China had 250.67 million stock investors with active accounts at the end of 2025, according to the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation as reported by 36Kr. India's National Stock Exchange passed 130 million unique registered investors in April 2026, according to Outlook Money. In the US, 62% of adults said they owned stock in 2025, according to Gallup, which Memeburn estimates at about 165 million people. Combined, Memeburn puts these three markets at roughly 546 million stock investors, meaning Henley's crypto count is about 36% higher, while Triple-A's lower figure is roughly equal. Memeburn notes the comparison has limits: stock counts are unique registered investors, crypto counts are estimates, and the US figure includes people who own shares only through retirement plans.
By value, crypto remains small. CoinGecko's Q3 2026 report put crypto's total market capitalization at about $2.96 trillion at the end of September, against $151.94 trillion for listed equities worldwide at the end of 2025 (World Federation of Exchanges) and about $29 trillion for the roughly 222,600 tonnes of above-ground gold (World Gold Council). On Memeburn's calculation, crypto's value averages about $4,000 per holder, and the typical balance is likely lower given Henley's count of 135,694 crypto millionaires and 23 billionaires at the top of the distribution. The World Gold Council's retail surveys found that 73% of retail investors in China and 68% in India have bought gold at some point, compared with 40% in the US.
Crypto ownership also remains concentrated in wealthy financial centers. Henley's top-ranked crypto countries are Singapore, the UAE, Hong Kong, the US and Switzerland. Triple-A's figures put the highest national ownership rates at about 25.3% in the UAE and 24.4% in Singapore. Meanwhile, 1.3 billion adults worldwide lack an account at a bank or mobile-money provider, according to the World Bank's Global Findex 2025 figures as summarized by BIIA, outnumbering crypto holders by about 1.75 to one. Memeburn argues that the most useful metric going forward is average balance per holder, and that a shift toward stock-market-like participation in any major country would first appear in the share of household wealth held in crypto.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.