The most common method for consumers to get hold of cryptocurrencies involved buying them through an investment channel and via a loyalty program. The survey held by cryptocurrency retailer CryptoRefills, a company that sells vouchers and gift cards, also adds that income levels affect consumers' preferences in obtaining crypto - although there was "little linear correlations". For all the income groups the survey considered, the three most popular ways remained the same: Buying them, affiliate programs, and minor freelance tasks online. The source does add that loyalty programs were relatively more popular among low level incomes than the average crypto consumer.
Most popular ways for consumers worldwide to obtain cryptocurrencies in 2022, by income group
N = 15,960 unique individuals (of which 413 filled in all questions in the survey)
Age group
15 years and older
Special properties
registered users of CryptoRefills, see the "Details" tab for more information on the users
Method of interview
Online survey
Supplementary notes
The results are unlikely to have been weighted to represent the global population. This as the source adds the following information on the ratio of its respondents when compared to figures from the World Bank:
Europe & Central Asia: 24.8 percent (against 11.8 percent of the world);
South Asia: 20.9 percent (against 24.0 percent of the world);
Sub-Saharan Africa: 13.6 percent (against 14.9 percent of the world);
Middle East & North Africa: 13.1 percent (against 6.0 percent of the world);
East Asia & Pacific: 10.9 percent of the survey (against 30.2 percent of the world's population);
Latin America & Caribbean: 10.2 percent (against 8.4 percent of the world);
North America: 6.6 percent (against 4.7 percent of the world).
Consequently, the source adds it felt Europe & Central Asia was overrepresented whilst East Asia and Pacific was underrepresented. It cited "effective regulations, political embargoes, and access restrictions on many web services provided by the “West” in China, North Korea, etc." as possible reasons for this, but it also did not rule out a language barrier in the survey - as it was only held in English.
Furthermore, the source adds that the share of immigrants among its respondents - 17.2 percent - was higher than the 3.6 percent observed in the world population. It cites "the increasing immigrant population" as a main driver for Europe's overrepresentation.
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CryptoRefills Labs. (November 30, 2022). Most popular ways for consumers worldwide to obtain cryptocurrencies in 2022, by income group [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 26, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1360113/common-ways-to-obtain-crypto-by-income-level/?roistat_visit=1162730
CryptoRefills Labs. "Most popular ways for consumers worldwide to obtain cryptocurrencies in 2022, by income group." Chart. November 30, 2022. Statista. Accessed December 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1360113/common-ways-to-obtain-crypto-by-income-level/?roistat_visit=1162730
CryptoRefills Labs. (2022). Most popular ways for consumers worldwide to obtain cryptocurrencies in 2022, by income group. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1360113/common-ways-to-obtain-crypto-by-income-level/?roistat_visit=1162730
CryptoRefills Labs. "Most Popular Ways for Consumers Worldwide to Obtain Cryptocurrencies in 2022, by Income Group." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Nov 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1360113/common-ways-to-obtain-crypto-by-income-level/?roistat_visit=1162730
CryptoRefills Labs, Most popular ways for consumers worldwide to obtain cryptocurrencies in 2022, by income group Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1360113/common-ways-to-obtain-crypto-by-income-level/?roistat_visit=1162730 (last visited December 26, 2024)
Most popular ways for consumers worldwide to obtain cryptocurrencies in 2022, by income group [Graph], CryptoRefills Labs, November 30, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1360113/common-ways-to-obtain-crypto-by-income-level/?roistat_visit=1162730