The Philippines is emerging as a surprising hub for everyday cryptocurrency use, ranking among the top 10 countries where digital assets have moved beyond speculation into regular financial activity. A new global index suggests that residents in the country are finding real-world uses for crypto even as regulators tighten rules to protect investors.

According to the Crypto Comfort Index published in November 2025 by decentralized exchange ApeX Protocol, the Philippines scored 73.5, placing it 10th worldwide in how easy it is for people to live, work, and transact using digital currencies.

The ranking is driven in part by the increasing number of Filipinos owning crypto—10.6% of the population in 2024—and growing search interest for “pay with crypto,” which hit about 3,500 monthly queries. Local infrastructure supports crypto debit cards and in-country transactions, though using digital assets to purchase real estate remains off-limits.

That trend aligns with the country’s evolving regulatory landscape. Cryptocurrency is legal in the Philippines and treated as a regulated digital commodity rather than legal tender, overseen by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Exchanges and other service providers are required to register, comply with anti–money-laundering rules, and meet capital thresholds—a system designed to encourage innovation while guarding against fraud.

The Philippine crypto market is also moving in step with global digital finance developments. Over the past decade, the BSP has rolled out progressively stronger safeguards—evolving from early advisories on virtual currencies to broader tax and compliance rules that apply capital gains and value-added tax to crypto transactions. New measures now set stricter standards for marketing and offering digital assets, requiring promotional activity to be tied to registered corporate entities to help protect consumers.

Institutional and fintech players are also helping shape the crypto landscape. Local banks such as UnionBank have rolled out crypto-linked services—from stablecoin projects to ATMs that convert digital assets to fiat—while Filipino fintech platforms, often linked to mainstream digital wallets, now allow users to buy and sell crypto alongside traditional payments. Those additions are boosting day-to-day usability in an economy that remains largely cash-based.

Globally, the wider Crypto Comfort Index shows Asia, Europe, and the Americas making significant strides in integrating digital assets into daily financial life. Singapore leads the index with a score of 99, buoyed by high ownership rates and mature infrastructure that allows crypto payments, debit cards, and property purchases. Nearly a quarter of Singapore’s population holds digital assets, the highest share in the world.

The United States ranked second with 97, supported by the largest global network of crypto ATMs and extensive exchange infrastructure. While only about 15.5% of Americans own crypto, strong search interest and broad usability underline a growing base of everyday adoption.
Switzerland claimed third, with robust institutional support and permissive property purchases using crypto, while Hong Kong and Canada rounded out the top five with strong local transaction capabilities and expanding services.

ApeX Protocol said younger generations are leading the shift toward real-world crypto use as governments and financial institutions catch up. “Young people are driving crypto adoption while governments struggle to keep pace. With major financial institutions now heavily invested, widespread adoption is inevitable.”

For countries like the Philippines, the ranking underscores a broader digital transition. While challenges remain—from legal clarity around barter transactions to more pervasive merchant acceptance—the data suggests that a meaningful shift toward living with crypto is already underway, and that the ecosystem’s growth could bring deeper changes to how everyday financial life operates.

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