Crypto: A third of investors reduce their spending in the face of losses

The crypto market is starting to weigh on personal finances. According to a CEX.IO survey, a growing share of investors are now adjusting their spending in the face of falling prices. Behind still latent losses, tension is building in budgets, revealing a gap between economic constraints and maintaining positions.

A falling market which forces budgetary decisions

A survey of 1,100 active American users of CEX.IO reveals a gradual deterioration in personal finances linked to the crypto situation. The market decline, with bitcoin still around 40% below its October 2025 peak, places some investors facing unrealized losses, directly influencing their budgetary decisions.

This pressure does not manifest itself in the form of a sudden shock, but is established in financial habits. CEX.IO underlines that “the 2025–2026 bear market did not cause the systemic shock seen in previous cycles […] but its effects seem to manifest themselves in a more discreet way, at the level of household finances”.

This dynamic illustrated a diffuse impact, but well anchored in the daily lives of investors.

• 36% of crypto traders have reduced their living expenses;
• 10% mention significant sacrifices to maintain their positions;
• 37% postponed or canceled purchases;
• 21% have postponed major projects such as buying a home, a car or renovations.

Investors under pressure, but still committed

Beyond consumer decisions, the on-chain data from the survey reveals a more discreet reality: risk management is often done in isolation. Only 5% of respondents say someone else knows the true size of their crypto holdings, while the majority prefer to keep this information partial or completely confidential.

This opacity comes with measurable financial stress: 38% of participants report financial disruption since October 2025, with 25% resorting to their savings and 12% admitting to late or missed payments.

Despite these difficulties, investment behavior remains stable. Nearly half of respondents indicate that crypto represents more than 30% of their investable assets, and 73% say they have not changed the way they generate income.

Importantly, 79% plan to maintain or increase their positions in the next six months, a sign of continued confidence in the market. The absence of massive recourse to debt, with 77% not having contracted crypto-related debt, confirms a certain financial discipline despite the pressure.

This situation paints a contrasting landscape. On the one hand, budgetary constraints are intensifying and reveal the growing anchoring of cryptos in the financial lives of individuals. On the other hand, the resilience of investors suggests a more profound transformation of the relationship to risk and investment. If this dynamic continues, it could redefine the place of crypto in wealth strategies even if their adoption slows down, with lasting consequences on savings behavior and the perception of market cycles.