One in Four UK Adults Would Add Crypto to Retirement Plans

Aviva has published new survey results showing growing interest among UK adults in adding cryptocurrency to their retirement plans. The poll, conducted by Censuswide between June 4–6 with 2,000 participants, found that 27% of respondents would consider crypto as part of their pension strategy.

Good to know

• 23% of UK adults said they would consider withdrawing some or all of their pensions to invest in crypto.
• Nearly one in five adults aged 25–34 said they had already taken pension money out for crypto.
• The UK pension market is worth about £3.8 trillion ($5.12 trillion).

The survey highlighted both opportunity and risk. While 40% of those open to crypto cited higher potential returns as their main motivation, respondents also expressed strong concerns. Security risks such as hacking or phishing were flagged by 41%, lack of regulation by 37%, and volatility by 30%.

Aviva estimated that around 11.6 million adults in the UK currently hold or have held crypto, with two-thirds still owning some. Younger demographics are driving much of the adoption. Among those aged 25 to 34, nearly 20% have already withdrawn pension funds to invest, making them the most active group in redirecting retirement savings into crypto.

However, the poll also showed gaps in understanding. Almost one-third of respondents admitted they were interested in crypto but did not fully grasp the benefits they could lose by cashing out pensions. Additionally, 27% of those surveyed said they did not realize crypto investments carried risks at all.

Michele Golunska, Aviva’s Managing Director of Wealth and Advice, said pensions still provide unmatched long-term benefits:

“We mustn’t forget the value of the good old pension. It comes with some powerful benefits, like employer contributions and tax relief, that can make a real difference to your long-term financial wellbeing.”

The findings point to a future where crypto could claim a role in the UK’s retirement savings market, though limited options currently exist for adding digital assets directly into pensions. With more than four in five UK adults holding pensions, even small shifts toward crypto could mean large inflows into the asset class.