They are twice as likely to know about bitcoin as savings products: for young people…

In the United Kingdom, cryptocurrencies have become an entry point into finance for young people before traditional stock products.

Cryptos are the first financial products known by young Britons (80%), well before stock products such as individual savings accounts in shares (43%) and individual savings accounts “Help to buy” (20%). Specifically, Bitcoin is the first financial product known by young Britons (65%). This is revealed by a survey conducted by the Coinbase Institute and JL Partners among 1,600 young people aged 16 to 25 this month.

The observation is interesting as cryptocurrencies have been around for less than 17 years, emerging following the creation of Bitcoin in 2009. However, today it is a market worth over $2.3 trillion. According to the latest survey by YouGov and the financial regulator FCA, 8% of Britons hold cryptocurrencies in 2025. However, this rate varies significantly depending on the age group of the holders, with young people (18-34 years old) holding much more (15%) compared to 6% of those aged 34-54 and 2% of those over 55.

Like in many Western countries, young Britons are seeking high and faster returns with cryptocurrencies than with traditional financial products (but also with greater losses). In addition to the desire to speculate, cryptocurrencies can also be seen as an alternative payment method in the face of the traditional financial system, including banks, especially after the financial crisis and Brexit.

Politicization of cryptos

Furthermore, the study looked into the expectations of young people regarding the position of political parties on cryptocurrencies. It appears that 43% of young people believe they will trust a pro-crypto party. This rate rises to 58% among young voters of the far-right Reform UK party and 46% among voters of the center-left Labour party.

The UK government led by Keir Starmer is adopting a strategy in favor of cryptocurrency development, aiming to make London a global hub for cryptocurrencies. This study comes as the UK government announced last week that it will tighten the rules governing cryptocurrency donations to political parties. In fact, the far-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, received nearly £12 million in cryptocurrencies in 2025 from a foreign entrepreneur.