Cryptocurrency
Visualizing the New Cryptocurrency Ecosystem
Visualizing the New Cryptocurrency Economy
Over a decade ago, the birth of Bitcoin sparked a revolution in the digital world — and just last year, the number of active cryptocurrencies jumped from roughly 1,600 to over 3,000 worldwide.
Cryptocurrencies have now evolved past simple digital currencies, offering solutions to meet the complex needs of modern financial markets.
Today’s graphic from Abra visualizes the complex, ever-evolving cryptocurrency ecosystem and its real-world applications.
Characteristics of Cryptocurrencies
Why are cryptocurrencies important for the future of digital finance?
- Borderless
Drastically reduces fees and processing times due to a lack of cross-border restrictions - Censorship-free
Prevents governments or major institutions from blocking financial activities at whim - Greater financial control
Individuals can have total control of their funds - Greater security
Prevents fraudulent alterations from third parties - Lower costs
Lower transaction fees thanks to fewer third parties - Greater Accessibility
Reduces or eliminates traditional barriers to capital markets
Much like the internet has forever altered how we live and work, cryptocurrencies have the potential to change how people participate in global financial markets.
Categorizing the New Crypto Economy
Today’s cryptocurrencies go beyond replacing cash. This new token-based economy is evolving─with unique solutions emerging in finance, security, identification, social engagement, and ownership.
Cryptocurrencies are generally categorized by their primary application within the ecosystem:
- Payments
Digital cash can be used for both ecommerce and brick-and-mortar retailers - Store of value
New form of scarce native currency and a means of settlement - Programmable money
Borderless money that enables easy conversion between currencies - Stablecoins
Crypto version of fiat which is tied to the value of resources like gold or the U.S. dollar - Privacy
Private digital transactions, with some offering anonymity - Digital ownership
Digital handling, storage, and monetization of data - Decentralized utilities
Crypto-enabled networks, products, and services that exchange between assets - Alternative finance
Digital assets such as collectibles, commodities, and tokenized securities
Cryptocurrencies are adding both value and utility to the digital economy, and to the global financial market as a whole.
Applications of Cryptocurrencies
Because cryptocurrencies are programmable, customizable computer code, developers can design and adapt them for many use cases within the digital economy.
How are these various cryptocurrencies being used in everyday applications?
Current Projects
- SPEDN auto-converts crypto to fiat for merchants, reducing exchange rate risk while offering convenient customer payment options.
- Slice offers real estate investing to anyone for as low as $10,000 through fractional investment.
Near-future Projects
- CyClean plans to launch a blockchain-enabled electric vehicle (EV) fleet that mines crypto as users travel—reducing emissions and rewarding users for doing so.
- Digital construction platform Builderium connects contractors to clients around the world through blockchain, opening up a global marketplace of potential deals.
These are just a few of the ways cryptocurrencies are breaking down barriers for people and companies worldwide—allowing them to grow personal wealth and enter the global market.
The Growth of the Crypto Economy
Worldwide, the numbers show that blockchain-based technology and cryptocurrency use is growing. Blockchain wallet users rose from nearly 9 million in 2016 to over 42 million in 2019.
Developers produced a mere 100 decentralized apps (DApps) in 2015─with that number skyrocketing to over 3,100 by 2019.
Overall, cryptocurrencies are helping to create an innovative and accessible financial system around the world.
Cryptocurrency deserves an opportunity to find a sustainable future in our economy.
—Adena Friedman, President & CEO of NASDAQ
While the future of the new cryptocurrency economy is still taking shape, one thing is certain─cryptos are forever altering the way we view and measure the value of money.
Technology
Countries With the Highest Rates of Crypto Ownership
While the U.S. is a major market for cryptocurrencies, two countries surpass it in terms of their rates of crypto ownership.
Countries With the Highest Rates of Crypto Ownership
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
This graphic ranks the top 10 countries by their rate of cryptocurrency ownership, which is the percentage of the population that owns crypto. These figures come from crypto payment gateway, Triple-A, and are as of 2023.
Data and Highlights
The table below lists the rates of crypto ownership in the top 10 countries, as well as the number of people this amounts to.
Country | % of Population Who Own Crypto | # of Crypto Owners |
---|---|---|
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 30.4 | 3M |
🇻🇳 Vietnam | 21.2 | 21M |
🇺🇸 U.S. | 15.6 | 53M |
🇮🇷 Iran | 13.5 | 12M |
🇵🇭 Philippines | 13.4 | 16M |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 12 | 26M |
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 11.4 | 4M |
🇸🇬 Singapore | 11.1 | 665K |
🇺🇦 Ukraine | 10.6 | 4M |
🇻🇪 Venezuela | 10.3 | 3M |
Note that if we were to rank countries based on their actual number of crypto owners, India would rank first at 93 million people, China would rank second at 59 million people, and the U.S. would rank third at 52 million people.
The UAE Takes the Top Spot
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) boasts the highest rates of crypto ownership globally. The country’s government is considered to be very crypto friendly, as described in Henley & Partners’ Crypto Wealth Report 2023:
In the UAE, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA-ADGM) was the first to provide rules and regulations regarding cryptocurrency purchasing and selling. The Emirates are generally very open to new technologies and have proposed zero taxes for crypto owners and businesses.
Vietnam leads Southeast Asia
According to the Crypto Council for Innovation, cryptocurrency holdings in Vietnam are also untaxed, making them an attractive asset.
Another reason for Vietnam’s high rates of ownership could be its large unbanked population (people without access to financial services). Cryptocurrencies may provide an alternative means of accessing these services without relying on traditional banks.
Learn More About Crypto From Visual Capitalist
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out The World’s Largest Corporate Holders of Bitcoin, which ranks the top 12 publicly traded companies by their Bitcoin holdings.
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