Washington State Takes Top Spot for Bitcoin Adoption Amid Widening Wealth Gap

Washington state has taken the top spot for Bitcoin adoption among US states, according to a recent SmartAsset study. The study found that 2.43% of 2022 tax returns in Washington showed some form of crypto activity, with around 91,310 households indicating involvement with the IRS.

This translates to about 1 in every 40 households in the state participating in crypto activities. Utah came close behind at 2.36%, while California, Colorado, and New Jersey rounded out the top five states for Bitcoin adoption.

On the other end of the spectrum, West Virginia reported the lowest crypto activity rate at just 0.84%, followed closely by Mississippi at 0.95%. The data suggests a significant wealth gap in crypto adoption, with households earning $500K or more per year showing a participation rate of 5.55% compared to 1.27% for those earning between $1 and $75K.

Notably, California dominated web traffic interest in Bitcoin and Ethereum, accounting for 43% of all US interest according to CoinGecko's data from May 2026. The state's strong showing in both adoption rates and web traffic suggests a significant role in the crypto market.