More Australians are using cryptocurrency to pay for goods and services, but banking restrictions continue to create friction for users, according to a new industry survey. The annual report from crypto exchange Independent Reserve surveyed 2,000 Australians between January 12 and January 30. It found that the share of people using cryptocurrency for everyday purchases doubled from 6% in 2025 to 12% in 2026.
Online shopping emerged as the most common use case, with 21% of respondents who spent crypto saying they used it to buy goods online. Another 16% said they used digital assets to pay for services such as freelancing or video game purchases. Around 30% of crypto investors reported experiencing at least one delay or rejection when attempting to transfer money to an exchange or purchase digital assets. That figure rose from 19.3% in the previous year.
Australian banks introduced stricter oversight of crypto-related transactions beginning in 2023. Major institutions such as Commonwealth Bank and National Australia Bank implemented measures, including payment delays, transfer caps and additional identity checks for transactions involving cryptocurrency exchanges.
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