Despite a three-month lull in crypto market volatility, 46% of Axi's client base now holds cryptoas part of their broader portfolio. The adoption spans the broker's full digital asset product range — including perpetual contracts, CFDs, and direct crypto ownership through Axi's Buy Crypto feature — pointing to a structural shift in how retail traders are approaching digital assets.

The figure highlights a broader shift away from purely speculative crypto trading toward ownership-based participation, as traders seek simpler entry points into digital assets.

While crypto derivatives remain popular, Axi says the new feature is onboarding a growing number of first-time crypto users by enabling clients to buy and hold digital assets without leverage directly within its trading platform.

Early usage data indicates that many traders are integrating crypto into portfolios for the first time, using digital assets as diversification tools and longer-term positions rather than short-term trades alone.

Stuart Cooke, Head of New Business at Axi, said the figures point to a fundamental shift in how traders are approaching crypto: "Demand for straightforward crypto ownership is growing — but what's equally telling is how fluidly clients move between product types as conditions change. As volatility fluctuates, we see the same underlying asset being traded in completely different ways — perpetual contracts, CFDs, direct ownership. Giving clients multiple ways to trade the same asset means their objectives are met wherever the market takes them''.

Axi notes that interest in direct ownership aligns with broader industry developments as platforms move toward integrated financial ecosystems combining trading, investing, and digital asset access.