Around 7m British adults own cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, the City watchdog revealed as it set out plans to regulate the industry.
The number of crypto investors in the UK has increased from nearly 5m or 9 per cent of adults in 2021 to around 12 per cent of the population.
The average investor now owns £1,842 of cryptocurrency compared to £1,595 three years ago.
This is according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is setting out a timetable to regulate the volatile asset class as investors are unprotected if something goes wrong.
Research has shown a third of investors mistakenly think their crypto investments are protected by the regulator and they would be able to seek financial redress.
DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS
Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.
Compare the best investing account for you