In 2025, crypto adoption is being driven by two powerful forces: payments and artificial intelligence.
That’s the key takeaway from a recent study by Reown and YouGov, which surveyed over 1,000 active crypto users in the U.S. and U.K.
While crypto trading remains the most popular activity, payments have surged in popularity, now outpacing DeFi practices like staking and yield farming. A growing number of users see payments becoming crypto’s core use case in the coming years, pointing to increasing confidence in the asset class as a functional financial tool.
Reown’s CEO, Jess Houlgrave, emphasized that AI and payments aren’t competing technologies—they solve different problems in crypto adoption. Payments bring real-world relevance, while AI is enhancing user experience and developer productivity behind the scenes, from fraud detection to personalized onboarding.
Users increasingly expect crypto tools to work across multiple platforms, whether exchanges or wallets. This shift is also reflected in ownership trends: stablecoins have overtaken Solana in user holdings, especially among younger investors.
Despite the growth in real-world use cases, trading still holds the top spot for on-chain engagement. However, the momentum behind payments and AI hints at a future where crypto’s appeal goes far beyond speculation.
Source
Alexander Zdravkov
Reporter at Coindoo
Alexander Zdravkov is a person who always looks for the logic behind things. He is fluent in German and has more than 3 years of experience in the crypto space, where he skillfully identifies new trends in the world of digital currencies. Whether providing in-depth analysis or daily reports on all topics, his deep understanding and enthusiasm for what he does make him a valuable member of the team.
Source: https://coindoo.com/whats-fueling-crypto-adoption-this-year/