Crypto shifts from speculation to spending: Bitget

A new report from Bitget shows that the trend of cryptocurrency application is gradually shifting from speculative purposes to everyday use.

An online survey of 4,599 users from the Bitget Wallet community shows that more than 35% of participants use cryptocurrency for daily payments, gaming, and booking travel services.

Global Shift

According to Bitget, users have specified the categories they prioritize for payment using digital assets. The data is analyzed to identify global trends, generational behaviors, and regional differences.

Worldwide, the top three sectors using cryptocurrency include: gaming (36%), daily spending (35%), and travel (35%). Additionally, 32% of participants use cryptocurrency for digital products, 32% use it for gifting, and 30% spend on education.

Cryptocurrency wallets are also used in fields such as luxury goods, utility bills, service subscriptions, real estate, buying or renting vehicles, and healthcare services.

In general, users prefer to spend cryptocurrency on daily needs (35%) rather than online shopping (31%). These findings indicate that digital currency is being integrated into practical spending and everyday life.

Regional Differences

In East Asia, the interest in digital products and daily spending ranks first globally, both reaching 41%. In contrast, Southeast Asia leads in gaming (41%) and gifting (36%). This trend is driven by a young population, mobile device preferences, the popularity of the play-to-earn model (P2E), and a strong culture of digital gifting. This region also has a high acceptance level for QR payments in stores.

In the Middle East, users are particularly interested in the gaming sector (41%), luxury goods (31%), and car purchases (29%), indicating that cryptocurrency is being used for large-value expenditures, in line with high purchasing power and favorable legal policies in the region.

In Africa, spending on education ranks first at 38%, reflecting the demand for cross-border learning and the desire to overcome the limitations of traditional banking systems.

In Latin America, 38% of users use cryptocurrency to purchase digital products and 35% for online shopping. Notably, 41% of users in this region report using cryptocurrency wallets to generate on-chain yields to preserve and grow their assets in the context of fiat currency devaluation.

In Europe, both Western Europe and Eastern Europe are leading in the travel service booking sector (37%), with Eastern Europe also leading in real estate payments (29%). Meanwhile, North America and Oceania have a balanced usage rate, with 33% for gaming and daily spending.

Generation Trends

The survey also noted the spending habits of different generations. About 39% of Gen Z (Generation Z) prioritize using digital assets for gaming, 35% for gifting, and 29% for entertainment services like online platform subscriptions. This group values fast, friendly, and social payment experiences.

With Millennials ( Generation Y ), 36% reported using cryptocurrency to pay for travel costs, 35% for gaming and purchasing digital products. According to the report, this group has largely embraced cryptocurrency thanks to its convenience and cost-saving potential, especially in cross-border payments and mobile services.

Generation X uses cryptocurrency the most for booking travel services, with about 40% opting for it. About 36% use it to purchase digital products and shop online. Additionally, 30% spend on utility bills and 30% on real estate. This group tends to focus on safe, practical spending and for large or essential purchases.

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