Updated on:12/18/2025 04:48 PM 
The worldwide cryptocurrency landscape has witnessed substantial growth during the initial six months of 2024, with ownership rates climbing by 6.4% to reach 617 million users globally, as detailed in the most recent market assessment from Crypto.com.
This expansion represents a significant increase from the 580 million crypto holders recorded at the conclusion of 2023. The momentum behind this adoption surge can be largely attributed to pivotal advancements within the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks, especially the introduction of spot exchange-traded funds connected to these leading digital assets.
Bitcoin (BTC) continues to maintain its position as the most widely adopted cryptocurrency, with user numbers growing by 5.9% to hit 314 million by mid-year. This figure represents approximately 51% of all cryptocurrency holders worldwide.
In contrast, Ethereum (ETH) has experienced even more rapid adoption, with a remarkable 9.7% increase in its user base. This growth has elevated the total number of ETH holders to 136 million, constituting 22% of the global cryptocurrency market share.
The comprehensive report identifies two primary catalysts for the increased adoption of Bitcoin. The debut of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, combined with the cryptocurrency's fourth halving event in April, have both been instrumental in driving this growth trend.
The halving mechanism reduced mining rewards from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC, reinforcing Bitcoin's reputation as "digital gold" and attracting substantial interest from institutional investors. According to the report's findings, an estimated 388,000 to 1.6 million individuals have gained exposure to Bitcoin through US spot ETFs, significantly contributing to its broader adoption.
Ethereum's expansion has been primarily fueled by the Dencun upgrade implemented in March, which substantially lowered transaction costs across Ethereum's Layer-2 (L2) networks. This enhancement has improved Ethereum's scalability, resulting in a substantial increase in L2 activity that now comprises roughly 90% of all transactions on the Ethereum network—a notable increase from the 77% recorded prior to the upgrade.
Furthermore, liquid restaking initiatives within Ethereum's decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem have pushed the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi to $100 billion during the first quarter, representing nearly double the value from the previous quarter.
The report emphasizes particularly strong growth patterns observed in March and April, with monthly adoption increases of 1.7% and 1.6% respectively. These periods coincided with the Bitcoin halving and the Ethereum Dencun upgrade, during which institutional investors played a crucial role in sustaining Bitcoin's upward trajectory. US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted more than $14 billion in capital inflows by the end of June.
Ethereum has also benefited from heightened institutional interest, particularly following the SEC's decision to drop its investigations into ETH and the regulator's approval of spot ETH ETFs. Both developments have significantly boosted investor confidence in Ethereum and the broader market. This initial wave of enthusiasm drove ETH prices to reach $3,900 by June.
Since their respective launches, the spot ETFs have demonstrated exceptional performance, with Bitcoin-linked funds establishing multiple new records within the ETF market landscape.
Nevertheless, despite the considerable expansion witnessed during the first half of the year, the cryptocurrency market has faced challenges in surpassing previous all-time highs in recent weeks. This has been attributed to increased selling pressure amid prevailing macroeconomic uncertainties and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East region.
At the time of this report, BTC was trading at $59,121, while ETH stood at $2,612—both values representing significant corrections from their peak prices earlier in the year.
