Crypto slump is showing up in grocery budgets, not just portfolios

Bitcoin is roughly 40% below its October 2025 peak. 

But the most telling number from this bear market isn't on any price chart but at the checkout counter.

A new study by CEX.IO of 1,100 active crypto users in the United States found that more than 1 in 3 traders have cut or reduced spending on everyday life since October 2025. 

One in 10 went further, saying these weren't minor tweaks. They made real sacrifices specifically to keep their crypto positions intact. 

A further 37% delayed or cancelled a purchase because of their portfolio performance, and for 21% of all respondents, that meant putting off something significant: a home, a car, a renovation. 

To put that in perspective: a Redfin/Ipsos survey from the same period found that 17% of Americans delayed a major purchase because of the federal government shutdown.

The crypto bear market produced a comparable, if not larger, effect on the people exposed to it. The difference is that nobody is really talking about it.

Related: Bank of America Introduces Crypto Allocations for Wealth Clients

A bear market suffered largely in silence

Part of what makes this downturn distinct is how privately it is being endured. Only 5% of respondents said they have someone in their life who knows exactly how much crypto they hold and what it is currently worth. 

41% said someone knows they hold crypto, but not the scale of it. 18% keep it entirely private.

Crypto, by its nature, has no shared account statement or broker report. Giving someone an accurate number requires sharing access or providing constant updates. 

The result is that a significant portion of American households are quietly absorbing financial pressure in the form of delayed bills, dipped emergency funds, paused savings contributions, while the people around them have no idea why the budget suddenly feels tighter.

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Losing faith in the exit, not the asset

The survey makes it clear that most of these traders don't think they were wrong to be in crypto. 

They think they were wrong about how they left it or didn't. When asked what single decision they would change over the last 18 months, 41% said they wish they had set clearer rules for when to take profits and stuck to them. 

Only 26% felt they were genuinely overexposed.

This distinction matters. The dominant posture going forward remains optimistic: 79% plan to hold or add to their positions over the next six months. 

Related: “Legacy” Tech Giants Are Considering Diversifying Their Portfolios With Crypto