An IMGW News Report
The number of crypto millionaires has soared to a record 241,700 worldwide, according to the newly released Crypto Wealth Report 2025 by Henley & Partners, featuring exclusive data from global wealth intelligence firm New World Wealth. That represents a 40% rise in just 12 months, fuelled by a 70% jump in Bitcoin millionaires – now 145,100 – and a booming total market valuation of US$3.3 trillion as of June 2025, up 45% from a year earlier.
At the very top of the crypto pyramid, 450 centi-millionaires now control portfolios worth over US$100 million, up 38% in a year, while the number of crypto billionaires has climbed to 36, a 29% increase. This surge coincides with landmark institutional adoption, including the first cryptocurrencies launched by a sitting US President and First Lady.
“The same mechanisms corporations used to shift profits and manage cross-border exposure are now available to anyone with an internet connection”
Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, says this rapid rise is forcing governments, tax authorities, and wealth managers to confront a new reality. “For millennia, storing wealth meant anchoring it to a place. Even digital banking required a residential address and tax ID. Today, with nothing more than 12 memorised words, an individual can secure billions in Bitcoin — instantly accessible from Zurich or Zhengzhou.”
Wealth Without Borders: Bitcoin Rewrites the Rules of Money
As crypto wealth matures, the Crypto Wealth Report 2025 documents major shifts in how digital asset investors structure their affairs. Machine learning now manages a growing share of institutional portfolios, while Switzerland has emerged as a leading hub for custody services.
According to Philipp A. Baumann, Founder of Z22 Technologies, Bitcoin is no longer just a speculative asset but the foundation of a parallel financial system: “It is becoming the base currency for wealth accumulation.”
The philosophical stakes are high, notes Samson Mow, CEO of JAN3: “Over any long horizon, fiat currency has one destiny: infinity. Bitcoin, by contrast, has the opposite – 21 million.” This tension between infinite fiat supply and Bitcoin’s fixed limit represents what he calls “the defining paradox of our age.”
The link between crypto wealth and global mobility is strengthening. Catherine Chen, Head of VIP & Institutional at Binance, observes that investors increasingly turn to citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes for geographic and financial flexibility. Townsend Lansing, Head of Product at CoinShares, adds: “Institutional adoption has not only arrived — it is surging.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Guneet Kaur, senior editor at CCN.com and Science Fellow at Exponential Science, points to the global momentum behind central bank digital currencies (CBDCs): “Over 100 economies are exploring them, with 49 countries in the pilot stage as of July 2025.”
Benchmarking the World’s Crypto-Friendly Jurisdictions
High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) with large crypto holdings are among the most mobile globally, says Andrew Amoils, Head of Research at New World Wealth. “Crypto and gold have become the modern portable stores of wealth, replacing diamonds in previous decades.”
Crypto millionaires increasingly seek jurisdictions that not only recognise digital assets but also provide residence and citizenship solutions aligned with their mobile lifestyles. As Volek explains: “Diversification across multiple jurisdictions is now a hedge against regulatory volatility and technological obsolescence. Legal certainty and access to innovation hubs are essential.”
To meet this demand, the Henley Crypto Adoption Index benchmarks the most crypto-friendly countries with investment migration programmes. Drawing on more than 750 data points, it highlights jurisdictions that safeguard wealth, optimise tax efficiency, and provide access to traditional financial systems.
Top Crypto Investment Migration Picks
The index evaluates 29 investment migration programmes across six parameters: public adoption, infrastructure, innovation, regulation, economic factors, and tax-friendliness.
- Singapore leads with strong infrastructure, innovation, and regulation.
- Hong Kong (SAR China) scores highly on economic and tax factors.
- The United States excels in public adoption and innovation.
- Switzerland and the UAE complete the Top 5, with the Emirates earning a perfect 10 for tax-friendliness thanks to zero taxes on trading, staking, and mining.
Other notable performers include Malta and the UK, both with sophisticated regulatory frameworks, as well as Canada, Thailand, and Australia. Luxembourg brings deep financial expertise, Portugal exempts long-term holders from capital gains tax, and Italy’s flat-tax regime appeals to new residents. Monaco remains attractive for ultra-wealthy investors with its zero personal income tax.
Next-Wave Destinations
Outside Europe and North America, small states are also innovating. St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda accept cryptocurrency for citizenship applications. Thailand recently introduced a five-year capital gains exemption on crypto trades, while Malaysia is building fintech capacity through its Digital Free Trade Zone. Mauritius, positioned between Africa and Asia, is emerging as a crypto hub.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Greece, Latvia, New Zealand, Panama, Türkiye, and Uruguay have all developed strategies to attract mobile digital asset investors — recognising that even a modest share of the crypto economy can yield outsized benefits.
Democratisation of Wealth
Volek concludes that cryptocurrency has democratised tools once reserved for multinationals. “The same mechanisms corporations used to shift profits and manage cross-border exposure are now available to anyone with an internet connection. This marks a profound shift — empowering individuals while challenging governments whose fiscal systems depend on monitoring, regulating, and taxing economic activity.”
