The use of cryptocurrency continues to spread around the world, but very unevenly.
Some countries are opening up and adopting these new technologies, while others are banning them outright, often due to fears of money laundering or financial instability.
The American blockchain analysis platform, Chainalysis, has published its 2025 report on the adoption of cryptocurrency.
Through its Global Crypto Adoption Index, it ranks countries based on the level of crypto usage by their citizens and businesses.
This ranking is based on several indicators, such as on-chain transaction volumes, the use of centralized and decentralized services, and the involvement of institutional players.
Tunisia gains 28 places
In this 2025 edition, Tunisia ranks 52nd out of 130 countries, and 10th in Africa. This is a surprising rank, given that the use of cryptocurrency remains prohibited in the country since 2018. Last year, it held the 80th position, representing a jump of 28 places in just one year.
This improvement can be partly explained by methodological changes introduced by Chainalysis, notably the inclusion of institutional activity and the adjustment of sub-indices related to retail transactions and decentralized finance (DeFi).
However, it is important to remember that, on the ground, the use of cryptocurrency remains illegal and unregulated.
Certain practices exist outside the official framework, via peer-to-peer platforms or informal exchanges, but they remain illegal and unregulated.
The ranking therefore partly reflects these activities, measured indirectly through web traffic and other data accessible to Chainalysis.
When examining the different sub-indices, we see that Tunisia ranks 43rd in terms of value received by centralized services for individuals.
For the value received by centralized services in general, it is in 53rd place, while for decentralized finance (DeFi), it occupies the 67th place.
Finally, concerning the value received by centralized services for institutions, Tunisia is positioned at 61st.
Nigeria dominates crypto adoption in Africa
For the rest of Africa, Nigeria dominates the continent in terms of cryptocurrency adoption, ranking 6th globally. Ethiopia follows, in 12th place globally, while Morocco occupies the 24th rank.
Behind them, we find Kenya (25th) and Egypt (26th), followed by South Africa (28th). Uganda (37th) and Ghana (40th) appear a bit lower in the ranking, while Algeria is in 47th place.
It should be recalled that Algeria completely prohibits the use of cryptocurrency, which severely limits their official adoption.
It is worth noting that the global top 5 for cryptocurrency adoption is dominated by Asia and the Americas: India is in the lead, followed by the United States, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Brazil.
