KEY FACTS: A 2025 Reown-YouGov survey of over 1,000 crypto users in the US and UK reveals that payments and AI are driving cryptocurrency adoption, with 37% of respondents identifying these as key catalysts. Crypto payments have surged to 34% usage, outpacing DeFi activities, while 27% predict payments will dominate onchain experiences within 3-5 years. Stablecoins are gaining traction, especially among younger users (51% of 18-34-year-olds), with 38% overall ownership, trailing Bitcoin (63%) and Ethereum (48%). AI enhances user experience through personalization and fraud detection, while regulatory clarity and real-world use cases like remittances solidify crypto’s shift from speculation to practical financial infrastructure.
Source: PeakD AI
Payments and AI Emerge as Key Drivers of Crypto Adoption in 2025
A new report released by Reown in partnership with public opinion analytics firm YouGov highlights the pivotal roles of payments and artificial intelligence (AI) in driving crypto adoption in 2025. The comprehensive study, which surveyed over 1,000 active crypto users in the United States and the United Kingdom, reveals that 37% of respondents identify AI and payments as the primary catalysts for mainstream integration of blockchain technology. With crypto payments experiencing significant year-over-year growth and AI enhancing user experiences, the findings signal a shift from speculative trading to real-world utility, positioning cryptocurrencies as a practical financial tool.
Payments and AI as the Twin Pillars of Crypto Growth
The Reown-YouGov survey remarks the evolution in how cryptocurrencies are perceived and utilized. According to the report, 34% of participants are actively engaging in crypto payments, a figure that outpaces traditional decentralized finance (DeFi) use cases such as farming and staking, though it still trails trading, which remains the most popular onchain activity at 36%. Notably, 27% of respondents expressed confidence that payments will become the dominant onchain experience within the next three to five years, reflecting growing trust in crypto’s ability to support everyday transactions.
Reown CEO Jess Houlgrave emphasized the complementary nature of payments and AI in advancing crypto’s usability and trustworthiness. According to Houlgrave:
“Payments and artificial intelligence are solving different layers of the same problem: how to make crypto useful, trusted, and intuitive...Payments bring real-world demand. AI improves the experience. We don’t see one displacing the other.”
Houlgrave highlighted that payments are transitioning from experimental use cases to essential infrastructure, with applications like remittances and gig economy payouts demonstrating tangible value. Meanwhile, AI is enhancing user experiences through personalization, fraud detection, and customer support, while also streamlining developer workflows by accelerating onboarding, auditing, and automation processes.
The survey also sheds light on shifting patterns in crypto asset ownership. Bitcoin and Ethereum remain the most widely held cryptocurrencies, owned by 63% and 48% of respondents, respectively. However, stablecoins have emerged as a significant player, with 38% of participants reporting ownership, narrowly surpassing Solana at 37%. This rise in stablecoin adoption reflects growing demand for digital assets that offer stability and facilitate payments with reduced volatility risks.
Demographic trends reveal a generational divide in stablecoin adoption. Among users aged 18 to 34, 51% hold stablecoins, compared to significantly lower adoption rates among those over 45. Reown noted that this disparity underscores the need for embedded, multichain user experiences (UX) that allow seamless transactions across wallets and exchanges, catering to diverse user preferences.
The growing prominence of crypto payments marks a departure from the industry’s historical focus on speculative trading. Houlgrave noted that real-world use cases, such as remittances and gig payouts, are transforming payments into “real-life infrastructure” rather than a niche experiment. This evolution aligns with broader industry trends, as companies increasingly integrate crypto into compensation structures. For instance, Mercuryo CEO Petr Kozyakov reported in May that more firms are settling employee compensation with crypto assets, driving demand for direct spending options.
AI’s role in this transformation is equally significant. The improvement of personalization, fraud detection, and customer support by AI makes crypto platforms more accessible and secure for users. For developers, AI-driven tools are enhancing productivity by automating processes like auditing and onboarding, enabling faster and more efficient development of blockchain applications. Houlgrave emphasized that these advancements are critical to making crypto intuitive and trustworthy, addressing long-standing barriers to mainstream adoption.
Globally, countries like El Salvador, the UAE, Switzerland, and Singapore are leading the charge with pro-crypto policies and innovation hubs. Singapore, for example, doubled its digital asset licenses in 2024 and now hosts 1,600 blockchain patents and 81 crypto exchanges, making it a global leader in crypto adoption. Emerging markets like India, Nigeria, and Argentina are also seeing strong grassroots adoption, particularly for stablecoins, as users seek alternatives to unstable local currencies.
The Reown-YouGov survey paints a picture of a maturing crypto market, one that is moving beyond speculation to become a practical financial infrastructure. With payments and AI as key drivers, cryptocurrencies are poised to play a larger role in everyday transactions and institutional finance. As Houlgrave noted, the tools are finally catching up to the vision that brought many to crypto in the first place: a decentralized, accessible, and efficient financial system.
As 2025 progresses, stakeholders in the crypto industry will need to monitor these trends closely. The rise of stablecoins, the integration of AI, and the growing emphasis on real-world utility signal a new phase of blockchain adoption.
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