Australian crypto shopping surges, but so do banking blocks: Survey

Online shopping was the leading real-world use case for crypto among Australians, followed by paying for services such as freelancing and video game purchases.

More Australians reported using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services in 2026 compared to the year before, but banking friction has continued to weigh on crypto users, according to a new report by crypto exchange Independent Reserve.

The annual survey of 2,000 “everyday Australians” was conducted between Jan. 12 and Jan. 30.

It found that the share of Australians using crypto to buy goods or pay for services doubled from 6% to 12%, with the report suggesting “more Aussies are viewing crypto as a practical payment method rather than just a speculative bet.”

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