Binance has published a report detailing how cryptocurrencies and digital asset infrastructure are expanding financial access in underserved regions and emerging markets. Titled “Finance Without Frontiers,” the study examines how unbanked and underbanked populations are turning to crypto for cross-border payments and broader financial inclusion.
According to the report, crypto adoption has moved beyond speculation into tangible real-world utility due to the inclusion it enables. Beyond trading on digital asset platforms, users now gain entry to global financial systems through tokenization, artificial intelligence (AI) agents, and mobile-first services.
A Large Financial Inclusion Gap
Researchers at the world’s largest crypto exchange found that unmet financial needs are structural and concentrated in specific regions. There is a substantial global financial inclusion gap.
World Bank data cited in the report shows that roughly 21% of the global adult population—about 1.3 billion adults—remains unbanked. Approximately 73% of those unbanked live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with over half concentrated in eight countries.
For this analysis, researchers defined the underbanked as adults who have deposit accounts but lack meaningful access to credit, digital payments, yield-bearing savings, or cross-border services. Approximately 4.7 billion adults lack access to credit or loans, and 3.6 billion people in LMICs do not use digital payments or cards. Only about 40% of adults in LMICs save formally, and at least 77% of those savers receive no interest on their deposits.
Notably, five of the eight countries with the highest shares of unbanked adults also rank among the top 20 in Chainalysis’s Global Crypto Adoption Index. This correlation suggests that digital networks have provided an alternative pathway into the formal financial system.
How Crypto Drives Inclusion
Binance’s researchers identified several specific ways crypto is advancing financial inclusion. Key areas include payments and remittances, improved access to capital markets, democratization of private markets through tokenization, and programmable finance that enables non-human actors such as AI agents to participate. The report also considers differences in device penetration—people with basic mobile phones versus those with smartphones—when assessing reach and adoption.
The share of crypto users from emerging markets has grown faster than in developed markets. Users from emerging markets rose from 49% in 2020 to an estimated 77% in 2026, reflecting strong demand for a broader range of financial services.
Engagement with crypto platforms now extends well beyond speculative trading. An internal Binance study found that 14% of total active users engage with multiple product types—such as savings, payments, and investments—with the majority of these multi-product users located in emerging markets.
These adoption patterns underscore how on-chain networks have become a significant part of the global conversation around financial inclusion. By offering alternative rails for payments, savings, and investment, crypto infrastructure is helping fill gaps left by traditional finance, particularly in regions where formal financial services are limited.