Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute

GloBAl Bitcoin Adoption Study 

AbOUT

The Cornell Bitcoin Adoption Study is a global research initiative investigating how bitcoin adoption relates to financial inclusion, agency, and community resilience across diverse geographies. With 25,000+ survey responses and 250+ interviews across 25 countries, our goal is to provide the most comprehensive, human-centered understanding of bitcoin adoption to date.

We believe this moment is historically significant: for the first time, a monetary system is being adopted voluntarily rather than imposed. We're here to study what that means - and for whom.

Why this STUDY matTers

Led by researchers at Cornell University’s Brooks School Tech Policy Institute, the study focuses on the social, economic, and political dimensions of Bitcoin adoption around the world.

Our research draws on:

  • Quantitative survey data from tens of thousands of respondents

  • Qualitative interviews with individuals, merchants, policymakers, and activists

  • Comparative analysis across regions and demographics

We aim to create a rigorous, neutral, and open-access body of research that can support better policy, advocacy, and community efforts around financial freedom.

This study is supported by grants from the Human Rights Foundation and the Reynolds Foundation. We’re grateful for their commitment to open research and financial freedom.

Resources

We’re committed to open-sourcing all of our research, data, and tools. Everything we produce - surveys, interview guides, country profiles, and visualizations - is freely available for public use, remixing, and replication. Knowledge should be a public good.

  • We are publishing rolling insights as we analyze survey data and interview transcripts. Our findings explore themes such as:

    • Motivations for Bitcoin use

    • Trust in institutions vs. peer networks

    • Differences between regions, age groups, and gender

    • Bitcoin as protest, survival tool, or investment

    Each insight is presented with transparency and academic rigor, accompanied by charts and excerpts from the field.

  • See where our work has been featured and how it’s shaping conversations on financial inclusion, human rights, and digital money.

  • In the spirit of transparency and collaboration, we are committed to publishing anonymized datasets, codebooks, and documentation for public use.

    • 📊 Survey Data (aggregate)

    • 📁 Interview Protocols

    • 📄 Country Profiles

    • 📌 Methods & Ethics Statements

    All data is released under a Creative Commons license.

  • Our interactive tracker offers an evolving snapshot of Bitcoin adoption across the countries we’re studying. Click on each country to explore:

    • Key statistics from surveys and interviews

    • Emerging themes and challenges

    • Grassroots initiatives, regulatory climate, and social context

    This tool is built to support researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and educators.

  • This report is the culmination of a 2 year research effort to understand how Bitcoin is being adopted around the world and why.

    What we’ve found is not just a financial story, but a deeply human one. The report combines:

    • Quantitative survey analysis, including demographics, motivations, obstacles, and patterns of use

    • Qualitative excerpts from interviews with students, merchants, workers, activists, and local leaders

    • Comparative country-by-country overviews to highlight structural differences in how Bitcoin enters people’s lives

    We explore key themes such as:

    • Bitcoin as a tool for freedom, survival, or status

    • Regional dynamics: grassroots innovation vs. top-down regulation

    • Trust in institutions vs. peer-to-peer networks

    • The role of youth, women, and marginalized communities in shaping adoption

    • Bitcoin and the architecture of choice: is this the first monetary network being adopted voluntarily?

    This report is designed to be accessible to policymakers, educators, students, builders, and anyone seeking a grounded, global understanding of Bitcoin as a phenomenon shaped by people, not just markets.

    • [📄 Download the Full Report]

    • [📘 Executive Summary PDF]

    • [📊 View Charts and Data Visuals]

    • [🧠 Read the Methodology]

Meet the Team

  • Dr. Sarah Kreps

    Director, Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute

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  • Dr. Gustavo A. Flores-Macías

    Cornell Brooks School Tech Policy Institute

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  • Dr. Douglas Kriner

    Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy

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  • Ella Hough '25

    Project Manager

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  • Matthew Correa '26

    Research Assistant

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  • Ernesto Salvador (Sal) Pineda '25

    Research Assistant | Cornell MBA

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  • Anna Corrine Howley '25

    Research Assistant

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  • Paul Robert Caruso '26

    Research Assistant | Cornell MPA

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  • Neha Naveen '27

    Research Assistant

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  • Jiacheng (George) Zhou '28

    Research Assistant

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  • Khai Xin Xuan '27

    Research Assistant

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  • Esandi Perera '26

    Research Assistant

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  • Cynthia Tan '26

    Research Assistant

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  • Vera Wong '28

    Research Assistant

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  • Laila Rahbari '24 & JD '27

    Fmr. Research Assistant

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  • Rafaela Baldeon '27

    Fmr. Research Assistant

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  • Carlos (Charlie) Eduardo Bernos Amoros '25

    Fmr. Research Assistant

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  • Marc-Aymeric Viollet '24

    Fmr. Research Assistant

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  • Bruno Chong '27

    Fmr. Research Assistant

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  • Brian Liu '26

    Fmr. Research Assistant

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  • Argentina:

    “The peso here is depreciating … since a long time, so we have high inflation rates… We must buy stuff, or if you want to save the money you have to buy dollars… At some time the government… banned the ability to buy dollars or save dollars, so Bitcoin was a real possibility.”​

  • Brazil:

    "I wanted a way to transfer money fast between countries. That's something bitcoin does well.” ​

  • Hong Kong:

    "In Hong Kong, I’ve noticed the struggles of Southeast Asian domestic helpers trying to send money home. They face high fees and poor exchange rates. Bitcoin could transform their lives by making remittances faster, cheaper, and more efficient. It’s heartbreaking to see how much they sacrifice and how little they gain because of traditional financial systems."​

  • India:

    “I stuck around [bitcoin] because of the principles (permissionless, decentralization, immutability) and financial freedom. Keeping bank and cash is not safe.”​

  • Japan:

    "Transferring my own money become very hard from Japanese bank to Thailand bank....banks wanted to know where I got the money from and why I am  transferring. Bitcoin is permissionless so it can transfer easily. Portability is very useful for me."​

  • Lebanon:

    "The government’s corruption and misinformation drove me to Bitcoin - it was the only way to protect my wealth." ​

  • Mexico:

    “It’s the ultimate hedge against inflation and a secure financial refuge...“I don’t own anything that isn’t Bitcoin. It’s indestructible and the strongest asset I’ve encountered."

  • Nigeria:

    “Bitcoin gives Africans a way to access global markets without going through the existing system—government, Mastercard, PayPal, Visa, Citibank New York—all the hoops that Western countries do not have to jump through.”​

  • Poland:

    "Bitcoin is the only existing currency that beats out inflation, will grow over time, and won’t lose money." ​​

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  • Russia:

    “Regulatory attitudes differ in the west versus in countries under authoritarian rule...72% of the world lives under authoritarian regimes. More dictators, the more adoption grows."

  • South Africa:

    “Transacting is easier when you don’t have to deal with differing exchange rates. If somebody’s in the EU, they just give the price in sats and it makes life easier.” ​

  • Turkey:

    "Theft through debasement is eroding morals and trust on a societal level. Bitcoin prevents this by being nearly impossible to steal. It fosters trust and belief in fair progress." ​

  • Ukraine:

    "My fiat exposure is very little…and that’s not even a political statement. I’m not sure if I have access to western banks. I’m not sure if I have access to an institution with reasonable safety.” ​

  • Venezuela:

    “Many people in Venezuela don't want to receive transfers to their local bank accounts - for obvious reasons." ​