CoinDesk Research: U.S. leads institutional crypto, Asia rules trading ahead of Consensus Miami

Asia’s dominance is visible across every major dataset in this report, but the U.S. is assembling the institutional engine for the next surge of global adoption, while Latin America is already proving how utility-driven demand can scale in the real economy. What to know : The global crypto market is fragmenting into distinct layers, with Asia leading in everyday usage while the United States consolidates its role as the institutional and regulatory center. CoinDesk’s Global Digital Asset Adoption Index finds Asia on top in exchange trading volumes, stablecoin flows, and ownership rates, even as the U.S. dominates in exchange-traded products, custody, and compliant capital formation. Stablecoins highlight this split, serving mainly trading and collateral functions in developed markets but powering remittances, cross-border commerce, and inflation hedging in emerging economies, especially in Latin America.