77% of Bitcoin Holders Haven’t Tried BTCFi — What Our Latest Survey Reveals

BTCFi has been one of crypto’s hottest buzzwords: conferences are packed, venture capital is flowing, and media coverage is expanding. But a surprising gap remains.

GoMining surveyed 730 Bitcoin holders across North America and Europe, and the results are eye-opening.

The survey has already been covered by CoinDesk, CoinMarketCap (Community), and Crypto.news, with a BeInCrypto feature on the way. It also ranked as the top BTCFi story on Google following publication.

Here’s what we found:

• 77% of Bitcoin holders have never tried a BTCFi platform.
• 37.1% said they are not familiar at all with BTCFi.
• 31.6% have heard of BTCFi but need more clarity.
• 60.1% correctly defined BTCFi as decentralized finance applications operating directly on Bitcoin.
• 72.9% are interested in earning yield on BTC through lending or staking.
• 42.3% want liquidity without selling their BTC.

The appetite is there. But the awareness and usability aren’t.

The Disconnect

Our findings confirm what we’ve seen in the market: products have been built for crypto natives, not for everyday Bitcoin holders.

• Many BTC holders are traditional. They prefer regulated ETFs and custodial solutions over complex DeFi mechanics.
• Awareness is low. Two-thirds of holders don’t know a single BTCFi brand,  even after $175M in VC funding in H1 2025. And hype keeps building, with protocols like Starknet launching BTCFi staking backed by 100M STRK incentives.
• Adoption is cautious. 76.4% of respondents said they’re curious but haven’t participated yet, and over 40% would allocate less than 20% of their BTC to BTCFi products.

Top concerns:

• 61.5% — security and risk of losing funds
• 39.5% — complexity of use
• 30.4% — low returns

As Mark Zalan, CEO of GoMining, put it: “Bitcoin holders aren't Ethereum users. BTCFi platforms that focus on education and user experience, rather than complex features, will capture this market.”

Why This Matters for BTCFi

The survey shows both a challenge and an opportunity:

• Demand is real. Yield and liquidity solutions clearly resonate with Bitcoin holders.
• Delivery is off. Interfaces remain complex, and jargon still blocks newcomers.

Biggest concerns (barriers):

• 61.5% — security and risk of losing funds
• 39.5% — complexity of using BTCFi apps
• 30.4% — low returns vs. expectations

Top motivators to participate:

• 36.3% — higher returns/APR
• 22.1% — better security and insurance
• 17.8% — simple onboarding/tutorials

For BTCFi platforms, this is a wake-up call. Winning adoption will take as much investment in education and onboarding as in code.

GoMining’s Take

At GoMining, accessibility has always been at the heart of what we build. From upgradeable digital miners to our new Learn-to-Earn Academy, we’re focused on helping users enter the Bitcoin economy with clarity and confidence.

BTCFi can scale, but only if it speaks the language of its users. This survey confirms that the next wave of adoption won’t come from hype cycles. It will come from making Bitcoin finance simple, secure, and accessible to everyone.

👉 Explore the full GoMining ecosystem and Academy here: gomining.com