Bitcoin News Today: Regulators Propel U.S. to Second in Global Crypto Adoption Race

The United States has climbed to the second position in global cryptocurrency adoption, behind India, driven by increased inflows into spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a clearer regulatory framework that is legitimizing crypto’s role within traditional finance, according to the 2025 Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index released in September 2025 [1]. India maintained its top ranking for the third consecutive year, contributing to the Asia-Pacific region being recognized as the fastest-growing market for on-chain crypto activity, with a 69% year-over-year increase in value received [1].

The U.S. rise was attributed to increased institutional interest and regulatory progress, including the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs, which has attracted significant investment. According to Farside Investors data, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded inflows of $54.5 billion since their launch in January 2025, with a large portion of those flows occurring between June 2024 and July 2025 [1]. Additionally, investment advisers and hedge funds have been aggressively accumulating spot Ether (ETH) ETFs, injecting $1.3 billion and $687 million respectively in the second quarter of 2025 [1].

India’s dominance was attributed to its large and tech-savvy population, a significant diaspora, and widespread use of crypto for remittances and savings in inflation-prone economies. Despite regulatory challenges, India ranked first in all four sub-indices of the Global Crypto Adoption Index, which measure crypto value received through retail and institutional activity across centralized and decentralized services [1].

Meanwhile, Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, led in per-capita crypto adoption. The region’s strong adoption rates were attributed to economic uncertainty, distrust in traditional banking systems, and high levels of technical literacy, which have made crypto an appealing alternative for wealth preservation and cross-border transactions [1].

Bitcoin continued to dominate as the primary entry point into the crypto ecosystem, with over $4.6 trillion in fiat inflows between July 2024 and June 2025. This was significantly higher than the $3.8 trillion in Layer 1 tokens (excluding Bitcoin and Ether) and $1.3 trillion in stablecoins [1]. The United States led in on-ramp volume with $4.2 trillion, while South Korea followed with $1 trillion in inflows. Bitcoin’s share of fiat purchases was particularly high in the UK and the EU, where nearly half of all transactions were directed toward Bitcoin [1].

The U.S. regulatory landscape has also evolved, with the passage of the GENIUS Act and the ongoing discussion around the CLARITY Act, both aiming to establish a more defined legal and financial framework for digital assets. The GENIUS Act, set to take effect in January 2027, provides specific rules for U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, requiring them to be backed by cash or short-term Treasuries in a 1:1 ratio. This regulatory clarity is expected to further accelerate institutional and retail participation in crypto markets [3].

Source: [1] The 2025 Global Adoption Index (https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/2025-global-crypto-adoption-index/) [2] US Second In Crypto Adoption On ETFs, Regulatory Clarity (https://cointelegraph.com/news/us-second-in-crypto-adoption-india-leads-all-chainalysis) [3] A U.S. Crypto Regulatory Primer (https://www.etftrends.com/coinshares-channel/u-s-crypto-regulatory-primer/)