You have heard, for sure, about Bitcoin, since everyone is just throwing this term around. But do you know what a blockchain is? Well, blockchain technology is one of the newest trends in the world and the latest addition to the list of things puzzling many. Namely, a blockchain is a decentralized database stored on many computers as identical copies. It’s the foundation for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Moreover, considering its decentralized nature, it’s extremely secure.
In fact, based on the latest blockchain statistics, this tech has the power to alter how global politics, commerce, law, and many other fields function. There are endless possibilities for its application. Let’s check some of the most interesting facts about it.
Blockchain Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
- Only 0.71% of the global population participates in blockchain transactions. (BeInCrypto)
- 86% of executives trust the potential of blockchain. (SotaTek)
- There are 68.42 million users of blockchain wallets as of 2021. (Finances Online)
- Global blockchain spending was projected to reach over $4.5 billion in 2020. (Statista)
- In 2021, the global blockchain market was worth $4.67 billion. (Fortune Business Insights)
- Financial services account for 60% of the global blockchain’s market value. (SotaTek)
- By 2030, blockchain might add over $3.1 trillion in business value. (Gartner)
- 16% of US adults have invested in or traded with cryptocurrencies. (Pew Research)
General Statistics on Blockchain
1. Only 0.71% of the global population participates in blockchain transactions.
Despite the rising global popularity of blockchain and Bitcoin, roughly 65 million people are involved in this technology in one way or another. As a matter of fact, even fewer know about the benefits tokenization brings to businesses and investors or what it represents.
(BeInCrypto)
2. 86% of executives trust the potential of blockchain.
According to Deloitte’s global survey about this technology, 86% of tech-savvy teams strongly expressed their beliefs that blockchain has significant business applications. Blockchain statistics show that nearly 50% of them placed it in the top five priorities of their company for 2020/21. For 88% of them, this tech could easily become something mainstream and a strong source of future revenues.
(SotaTek)
3. Over $270 billion in assets have been managed using blockchain.
Blockchain allows participants to exchange digital assets without having intermediaries. These transactions aren’t kept in a centralized system, and the majority of the nodes in the network are responsible for all transactions. Today, over 300 million transactions and $270 billion of assets are managed using distributed ledger tech, in line with blockchain stats.
(Gartner)
4. 15% of IT professionals have invested in cryptocurrencies.
According to the latest data on the blockchain, IT professionals are the largest investor in cryptocurrencies. Other than them, students, the unemployed, and retirees are an important group investing in cryptocurrency. In fact, over 80% of people investing are novices, and only 7.3% had any previous experience in investing in anything.
(EarthWeb)
5. IBM’s 1,500 employees are working on 500 blockchain projects.
IBM is one of the pioneers in every new tech that has begun to dominate the market. Further, the company has partnered with Columbia University to find more uses and foster blockchain adoption, statistics indicate. These projects tackle issues in different industries like banking, healthcare, food safety, shipping, etc.
(CNN)
6. Some of the largest banks globally are investing $50 million to develop a digital cash settlement system using blockchain.
Some of the world’s most significant banks are investing in the entity Fnality, which runs one of the largest fin-tech projects. The aim is to develop a utility settlement coin banks use to settle transactions later. It would represent an equivalent to central bank currencies like the euro or the dollar and run on blockchain tech. Based on preliminary information about this project, spending the digital coin would be the same as the currency it’s paired with.
(Reuters)
7. In the famous Mt Gox hack of the cryptocurrency exchange, $350 million worth of bitcoins were supposedly lost.
Blockchain statistics show that Mt Gox handled over 80% of the trading volume for bitcoin exchanges at the time. It was launched in 2010 but suspended operation in 2014 after the hack. The police arrested the CEO Mark Karpeles on allegations that he manipulated its volumes prior to the downfall.
(CoinDesk)
8. Switzerland is the home to over 450 blockchain-based organizations.
Switzerland is one of the countries on the top five list in blockchain development. It’s home to the Ethereum network and is one of the prospective countries for blockchain development despite its size. This nation has become the home to many organizations that work with blockchain, thanks to its liberal administrative procedures. Blockchain statistics reveal that the government went even further and legalized Bitcoin as a form of currency.
(Analytics Insights)
9. The US dollar is the most popular currency for trading in bitcoins.
It is in most wallets as the default trading currency. Other currencies include the Japanese yen (10.72%). Korean won and euro are also on the list with 6.22% and 5.92%, respectively. Other less traded currencies are Turkish lira (1.28%), British pound (0.68%), Russian ruble (0.33%), Australian dollar (0.21%), Brazilian real (0.19%), and Polish zloty (0.15%).
(Finances Online)
10. Coinbase is the most popular wallet, with 649,885 daily active users.
Blockchain statistics indicate that, compared to other assets, trading in crypto coins is easier. This is because signing up for one of many trading wallets on the market is sufficient. All wallet apps offer distinctive accessibility, security, and other factors to sway you to install them. Besides Coinbase, Blockchain wallet (62,498) and Coinbase Pro (32,571) are the biggest ones.
(Finances Online)
11. New business models and value chains represent the most significant benefits of blockchain for 23% of companies.
There are many upsides to blockchain technology, statistics confirm. Lower risk, greater security, and new business models are high on the list of positive sides brought by this technology (23%). The third on the list is greater processing speed than the existing systems (17%). Transparency is fourth with 11%, followed by lower costs (9%). Finally, it improves identity control (9%) and enhances fraud detection (8%).
(Finances Online)
12. With 35%, replacing legacy systems with blockchain is one of the biggest obstacles to faster adoption.
Although highly beneficial, there are still many setbacks on the road to blockchain adoption. Among other things, implementation is lagging due to replacing old systems. After that, some security threats, with 34%, are also preventing faster adoption, along with concerns about the sensitivity of information (34%). Another clear hurdle is the lack of regulatory clarity (32%).
(Finances Online)
Blockchain Usage Statistics
13. There are 68.42 million users of blockchain wallets as of 2021.
The number of blockchain wallet users is growing as the technology evolves and mobile accessibility increases. For reference, just a few years back, in 2015, there were only 3.14 million users of this technology. Since then, there has been tremendous growth, and in 2019 the number of users rose to 40.91 million.
(Finances Online)
14. Nine of 10 European, Canadian, and US banking experts claim their company is considering the blockchain for payments.
The latest survey of executives from 11 of the top 20 banks in Europe, the US, and Canada, revealed a great deal of interest in blockchain tech. In their opinion, using blockchain technology could revolutionize the payments business, statistics on blockchain show. Furthermore, only 7% of executives claimed they were uncertain about it, while 3% said they weren’t considering it.
(Accenture)
15. Thanks to blockchain technology, researchers traced a carton of mangoes in 2.2 seconds.
Recently, this tech has spread to different industries, including food and beverage. Namely, it allows researchers to follow other problems, like food outbreaks or pre-expiration spoilage. In this particular case, the research team needed seven days to trace the mangoes carton without using blockchain, statistics confirm. This application of blockchain leads to better food safety, as well as fewer economic losses.
(Food Navigator-USA)
16. By 2022, Carrefour retailer aims to collect $5.5 billion in organic food sales using blockchain.
Carrefour, one of the largest European retailers, claims it uses blockchain to enable shoppers in France to trace the products’ origin. For the time being, they used it for products such as eggs, milk, honey, cheese, oranges, salmon, tomatoes, and hamburgers. They also used blockchain tech to trace chicken production in central France.
(Reuters)
17. 29% of consumer products and manufacturing companies claimed their organizations had adopted blockchain.
This means that they have deployed and used blockchain in their operations. 45% are experimenting with it, while 25% are aware of the tech’s significance. Blockchain statistics suggest that many organizations in other industries have also put blockchain in production. So, 12% of automotive companies, followed by 11% of financial services, and 17% of food sector organizations have adopted it. Healthcare is also pioneering with this tech (11%). Life sciences companies are one of the largest adopters (23%), as well as technology, media, and telecommunications (20%).
(Statista)
18. 44% of gamers have used blockchain to purchase or trade game items.
In line with blockchain usage statistics, although a larger number of surveyed gamers said they hadn’t used blockchain to trade game items (54%), this is still a significant number. This technology has the potential to transform the gaming industry for good.
(Statista)
19. In 2020, blockchain was used for digital currency in 33% of cases.
This technology is mostly used for digital currency. Data access and sharing is a close second, with 32%. Next are data reconciliation and identity protection, with 31% each. Notable cases include payments (30%), tracking and tracing (27%), asset protection (27%), asset transfer (25%), and certification (23%).
(Finances Online)
Blockchain Growth Statistics
20. Global blockchain spending was projected to reach over $4.5 billion in 2020.
Many global businesses have been planning to invest in blockchain in the last couple of years. In fact, 60% of respondents cited a budget of at least one million US dollars for distributed ledger tech. For example, in 2020, financial services accounted for the most significant blockchain market value. However, many other industries have become adopters too. Accordingly, the global spending on these solutions will hit $19 billion by 2024.
(Statista)
21. A couple of years ago, EOS, a blockchain protocol, attracted a $4.2 billion investment in its initial coin offering.
The increasing number of blockchain startup companies each year confirms the growing interest in this technology. In line with blockchain adoption statistics, the US is the leading country in the blockchain funding market, with millions of dollars in investments. However, China is coming close with the leading companies like JD Digits and Ant Group, attracting a great deal of funding too.
(Statista)
22. In 2021, the global blockchain market was worth $4.67 billion.
Despite the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the market hard, it’s in the process of recovery. After the downturn of 52.4% in 2020 compared to 2019, the market is now on a path to reach $163.83 billion by 2029, at a staggering CAGR of 56.3%, blockchain statistics indicate.
(Fortune Business Insights)
23. The use of blockchain in the financial services and banking market is expected to grow to $1.89 billion in 2022.
Financial services are the largest segment in the blockchain market. Moreover, their use of this technology is driving its expansion further. So the market was set to increase at a spectacular CAGR of 61.9% between 2021 and 2022 (from $1.17 billion to 1.89). The market owes most of its growth to the companies adapting their operations and recovering from the impact of the pandemic. By 2026, the forecasts show that the market will be worth $12.39 billion (growing at a 60% CAGR).
(Finance Yahoo)
24. Financial services account for 60% of the global blockchain’s market value.
In line with blockchain technology statistics, financial services are the leading industry blockchain adopter. Following this sector, manufacturing is next with 17.6% of the market share. Distribution and service are third (14.6% market share), followed by the public sector (4.2%). Finally, infrastructure is also there with 3.1% of the market share.
(SotaTek)
25. Distributed ledger technology can potentially reduce infrastructure costs of financial services by $20 billion per year.
A recent report indicates that financial services have much to gain from implementing distributed ledger, one of the blockchain-based technologies. According to blockchain statistics, they can save between $15 and $20 billion annually by 2022. On top of that, blockchain transactions don’t cost much. For instance, translated in US dollars, it’s around $0.19, compared to 1.3%-1.5% of transaction commission for credit cards.
(SotaTek)
26. In 2021, Bitmain, one of the largest blockchain companies, generated $40-50 billion worth.
Although many blockchain development companies exist today, Bitmain is one of the largest in its field. It was established in Beijing in 2013 and specializes in producing integrated circuit chips for crypto mining. Statistics on blockchain indicate that other noteworthy companies in this domain are Coinbase ($8 billion), Robinhood ($5.6 billion), Ripple ($5 billion), One ($4 billion), Circle ($2.9 billion), and Binance ($2 billion).
(SotaTek)
27. Blockchain could decrease infrastructure costs for investment banks by 30%.
According to the latest Accenture report, blockchain has the potential to reduce infrastructure costs for eight out of 10 surveyed investment banks. To illustrate this, banks can reduce costs and save $8-$12 billion annually. However, banks must reconcile the data with their counterparts and clients to complete any transaction. Blockchain statistics indicate that this process is complex and requires a lot of resources. On the other hand, blockchain could allow multiple parties to exchange and access the same data with high security and encryption.
(Accenture)
28. 39% of surveyed companies plan to invest a minimum of $5 million in blockchain technology in the next few years.
Many companies plan or are planning to invest more in blockchain technology. When asked how much they planned to invest in this tech by 2021, 26% of companies said between $1 and $5 million. Further, 23% plan to invest between $5 and $10 million. Moreover, 16% were going a step further by planning to invest over $10 million. On the other hand, blockchain stats indicate that 20% would spend from $500,000 to $1 million. Next, 10% would spend less than $500,000, while 5% didn’t plan to invest anything.
(Deloitte)
29. The global food and agriculture blockchain market is projected to grow to $1.4 billion by 2028.
Thanks to the potential of this technology to trace food origin and foster sales, the market has been on a steady growth path since 2018. For reference, that year, the market was worth $41.9 million, and in only a few years (2023), it is set to hit a staggering $195.3 million and $1.4 billion in 2028.
(Statista)
30. By 2030, blockchain might add over $3.1 trillion in business value.
Blockchain statistics show that product managers should prepare for this tech’s rapid expansion and transformation. By 2025, the technology will bring more than $176 billion in added business value. By 2030, this figure is expected to grow tremendously when the blockchain becomes mainstream.
(Gartner)
31. The US spending on blockchain is set to rise to $41.1 million by 2025.
In line with the recent findings, US blockchain spending was bound to grow at a staggering 44.5% CAGR and jump from $3.1 million in 2016. According to the forecasts, blockchain statistics indicate it is supposed to hit $41.1 million by 2025.
(Cointelegraph)
32. Blockchain in the healthcare market worldwide is set to grow at 63.85% CAGR between 2018 and 2025.
As a result of the incredible growth, the market has the potential to reach $5.61 billion by 2025. Blockchain will mostly be used to solve some most common problems in healthcare IT. For instance, it would help interoperability and non-standardization in the industry. Moreover, it will help reduce operational and IT costs in the insurance process and diminish fraud.
(BIS Research)
Blockchain Stats About Cryptocurrencies
33. 16% of US adults have invested or traded with cryptocurrencies.
Although most Americans have heard about cryptocurrencies (86%), only a smaller portion have actually traded or used one. Namely, around three in 10 adult Americans between 18 and 29 years of age have invested in or traded with cryptocurrencies like Ether or Bitcoin. Moreover, men (22%) are twice as likely to use cryptocurrencies than women (10%).
(Pew Research)
34. Bitcoin generates 22 and 22.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
To understand this stat better, it’s important to know that Bitcoin creation comes from competing high-powered computers against other machines to solve complex puzzles. Blockchain statistics also show that it is a high-energy consumption process that relies on fossil fuels, particularly coal. Therefore, bitcoin mining generates as much carbon dioxide per year as the levels produced between Jordan and Sri Lanka.
(NBC News)
35. In 2021, Bitcoin’s price reached a record value of over $65,000.
Bitcoin price reached an all-time high three times in 2021. First, it happened in February and in April 2021 because of Tesla’s announcement that they had acquired $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and the IPO of the US biggest crypto exchange. Later it suffered due to government regulation speculations and electricity blackouts in the Xinjiang region in China. Finally, the third price rise in November happened due to the launch of Bitcoin ETF in the US, bitcoin blockchain statistics indicate.
(Statista)
36. Bitcoin’s current blockchain size is 324 gigabytes.
The average blockchain size for bitcoin in 2021 was around 343 bytes. It needs to expand to hold all transactions. For reference, the maximum number of bitcoins that can be mined is 21 million. At the moment, around 18 million bitcoins are circulating. Based on these stats, the last Bitcoin will be mined in 2140.
(EarthWeb)
37. In 2020, China accounted for 65% of the world’s bitcoin mining.
Despite China’s global dominance in hash power, its crackdown on bitcoin has pushed the mining activities to other countries. According to Ethereum blockchain statistics, a hash rate is a measuring unit for bitcoin’s network processing power. Although China still accounts for 34.3% of the global mining, the US took over as the leader with 35%, followed by Kazakhstan and Russia with 18.1% and 11.2%, respectively.
(Bitcoin, SCMP)
38. There are 10 times more Ethereum tokens in circulation compared to Bitcoin.
This cryptocurrency has over 188 million tokens in circulation. Eight people, including Vitalik Buterin, a Russian-Canadian, co-created this coin. The official story goes that Vitalik created Ethereum after the developer of the WoW weakened his character in the game. Vitalik said this move made him more critical of the centralized services. Blockchain statistics indicate that unlike Bitcoin, which acts like digital gold, this cryptocurrency is more a platform for applications, not run by governments and organizations.
(Statista)
39. Transactions on Ethereum blockchain increased to roughly 1.3 million daily in 2021.
Ethereum doesn’t come free; they charge a fee for every transaction. Until recently, they were low; however, the growing network pushed the prices up in 2021. Compared to 2020, the number of transactions increased from 1.2 million to 1.3 million per day.
(Statista)
40. Litecoin’s price has a live market cap of $8 billion LTC coins.
Its designers made Litecoin provide secure, fast, and low-cost payments. But, of course, like all other cryptocurrencies, LTC leverages blockchain. According to Litecoin blockchain statistics, its current price is $116.03, with a daily trading volume of over $889 million.
(CoinMarketCap)
41. Ripple’s planned investments of $200 million raised the total value of blockchain to $10 billion.
According to the company’s released data, it serves over 300 financial firms. Ripple created the XRP crypto coin, RippleNet exchange network, and Ripple payment protocol to disintermediate the cross-border financial transactions for these businesses. In addition, it enables the representation of digital currency, with traditional fiat money in the background, and the creation of cryptocurrencies, allowing new sources of liquidity.
(ComputerWorld)
42. By 2020, detections of crypto-mining malware increased by 53%.
In accordance with blockchain statistics, in the same period, the value of Bitcoin surged, and prices stood at an all-time high. This rapid increase in mining-related malware during this period indicates that attackers used this price trend to spread malware faster. Hence, cybersecurity plays a vital role in the further expansion of blockchain.
(Info-Security)
43. There have been a total of 44 million transactions on Cardano so far.
Cardano, or ADA, is the coin closest to Ethereum. It shares the same characteristic of the open-source format and the co-founder. In 2021, investors’ interest in this coin grew, so blockchain activity for ADA grew. According to the Cardano blockchain statistics, over 3 million accounts hold ADA.
(Statista, Adastat)
44. 32.21% of Bitcoin traders in crypto marketplaces are between 18 and 24 years old.
The latest data gathered by Paxful shows that younger generations are the most common Bitcoin traders. Aside from those in the age group 18-24, around 32.76% of the age group 25-34 also trade in Bitcoin. Also, about 16.42% of those between 35 and 44 participate in trading, while this percentage decreases in the next few groups. For instance, in the 45-54 age group, it’s 9.21%, followed by 5.65% in 55-64-year-olds. Finally, only 3.75% of those over 65 are traders.
(Outlook)
45. Solana can process roughly 65,000 transactions per second.
This open-source blockchain supports smart contracts, non-fungible tokens, and different decentralized applications. Solana blockchain statistics show that its founders wanted to create a highly scalable blockchain. Back then, the maximum transaction number was around 15 per second. For reference, Visa and Mastercard could process this much. Solana boasts the same number, and thanks to its speed and low costs, it has become one of the most used blockchains.
(Blockworks)
46. In 2021, Bitcoin was the number one cryptocurrency by market capitalization, with $960 billion.
Next on the list was Ethereum, with $189 billion, followed by Binance Coin ($39 billion). Other notable crypto coins include Tether ($35 billion), Cardano $33 billion), Polkadot ($31 billion), XRP ($21 billion), Litecoin ($13 billion), Chainlink ($11 billion), and Bitcoin Cash ($10 billion), blockchain stats show.
(Finances Online)
47. Tether had the highest daily trading volume in 2021, with $109 billion.
Second on the list by the same criteria was Bitcoin with $55 billion, while third was Ethereum with $26 billion.
(Finances Online)
The Bottom Line
Recent blockchain statistics illustrate a substantial shift in the financial field thanks to the use of blockchain technology. Similarly, this tech is transforming many other industries. Moreover, its secure nature is the foundation for many cryptocurrencies, including the most popular Bitcoin. As a result, the global market is constantly on the rise. However, despite the vast possibilities it provides, most of the world remains ignorant about its significant potential.
Source
- BeInCrypto
- SotaTek
- Gartner
- EarthWeb
- CNN
- Reuters
- CoinDesk
- Analytics Insights
- Finances Online
- Accenture
- Food Navigator-USA
- Reuters
- Statista
- Statista
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- Fortune Business Insights
- Finance Yahoo
- Accenture
- Deloitte
- Statista
- Gartner
- Cointelegraph
- BIS Research
- Pew Research
- NBC News
- Statista
- Bitcoin
- SCMP
- Statista
- CoinMarketCap
- ComputerWorld
- Info-Security
- Statista
- Adastat
- Outlook
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