25% of Adults in the UK Open to Crypto Investment for Retirement
A recent survey suggests that interest in cryptocurrencies as part of retirement planning is growing in the United Kingdom. According to Aviva, which polled 2,000 UK adults earlier this month, 27% said they are open to including crypto in their pension funds. Of those, more than 40% cited the potential for higher returns as their main motivation.
Rising interest in crypto for retirement
The survey found that 23% of respondents would consider withdrawing part or all of their pension savings to invest in crypto. Given that over four in five UK adults hold pensions collectively worth about £3.8 trillion ($5.12 trillion), such interest could potentially channel significant capital into crypto.
Still, options for adding crypto to pensions remain limited in the UK. The poll came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing U.S. 401(k) retirement plans to include bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, opening access to over $9 trillion in assets.
Risk awareness and regulatory barriers
Aviva reported that around one in five UK adults — about 11.6 million people — have owned crypto, with two-thirds of them still holding some today. Nearly 20% of those aged 25–34 admitted to already withdrawing pension funds for crypto investments.
However, concerns persist. Security issues such as hacking and phishing ranked as the top worry at 41%, followed by lack of regulation at 37%, and volatility at 30%. Michele Golunska, Aviva’s managing director of wealth and advice, stressed the benefits of traditional pensions, saying, “We mustn’t forget the value of the good old pension. It comes with some powerful benefits, like employer contributions and tax relief, that can make a real difference to your long-term financial wellbeing.”
While nearly a third of respondents expressed interest in crypto but admitted not fully understanding the trade-offs, 27% said they were unaware of any risks at all. This comes as the UK moves forward with a proposed regulatory framework for exchanges and crypto service providers aimed at boosting transparency and consumer protection.
At the same time, adoption is being slowed by banks, with 40% of surveyed investors reporting that their banks had blocked or delayed payments to crypto providers.
Sources:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/quarter-uk-open-to-crypto-in-retirement-funds