Bitcoin News Today: Regulation Fuels U.S. Crypto Leap as APAC Soars

The United States has climbed to the second position in global crypto adoption, as Asia-Pacific (APAC) emerged as the fastest-growing region, according to the 2025 Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index. The index evaluates on-chain and off-chain activity to identify countries leading in grassroots cryptocurrency usage. North America's growth was attributed to regulatory progress, including the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs and the introduction of clearer institutional frameworks, which have increased legitimacy and participation in the market.

India led the global rankings, driven by widespread adoption in both centralized and decentralized services, followed by the United States in second place. APAC countries, including Pakistan, Vietnam, and Brazil, also showed strong growth in both retail and institutional activity. The region recorded a 69% increase in crypto transaction volume over the past year, rising from $1.4 trillion to $2.36 trillion. This surge was fueled by high engagement in countries such as India and Vietnam, where crypto usage is increasingly integrated into everyday transactions and financial services.

Meanwhile, Eastern Europe emerged as a hotspot for crypto adoption when adjusted for population size. Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia topped the list, indicating high levels of crypto activity relative to their populations. Factors such as economic uncertainty, distrust in traditional financial institutions, and strong technical literacy appear to be driving adoption in these regions. The index highlighted that crypto is becoming a tool for wealth preservation and cross-border transactions in countries facing inflation, conflict, or banking restrictions.

The report also revealed the continued dominance of stablecoins in the global crypto ecosystem, with USDT and USDC processing over $1 trillion per month on average between June 2024 and June 2025. These stablecoins remain central to cross-border payments and institutional activity. However, smaller stablecoins like EURC and PYUSD experienced significant growth, with EURC's monthly volume rising nearly 89% and PYUSD’s increasing from $783 million to $3.95 billion during the same period. This trend was linked to regulatory developments and institutional interest, with financial institutions exploring the potential of stablecoins for payments and settlement.

Bitcoin remains the primary entry point into the crypto market, accounting for over $4.6 trillion in fiat inflows on centralized exchanges between July 2024 and June 2025. This dwarfs the next highest category, which included Layer 1 tokens excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum, which saw roughly $3.8 trillion in volume. Stablecoins followed with $1.3 trillion in inflows, and altcoins with about $540 billion. The United States was the largest fiat onramp, with over $4.2 trillion in total volume, more than four times the next-largest country, South Korea. The report noted variations in investor behavior and exchange preferences across different regions, with the U.S. and U.K. showing a higher percentage of Bitcoin purchases.

The index also highlighted the broad-based nature of crypto adoption across different income brackets, with high-, upper-middle-, and lower-middle-income countries all experiencing growth in 2025. This suggests that crypto adoption is not limited to developed markets but is also expanding in emerging economies where remittances, stablecoin access, and mobile-first finance are driving usage. However, low-income countries (LICs) remain more volatile due to factors such as policy shocks and connectivity issues. Sustained adoption in these regions will depend on improved on-ramps, regulatory clarity, and digital infrastructure.

Source: [1] 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index (https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/2025-global-crypto-adoption-index/)