Beyond speculation: Binance reveals how cryptocurrencies are reshaping emerging market economies

The Binance platform has released a new report titled Finance Without Borders, which reviews the growing role of digital currencies and cryptocurrency infrastructure in expanding financial inclusion in emerging markets and regions with less banking opportunities.

The report explains that millions of individuals who are not included in or have limited access to the traditional financial system have come to rely on digital currencies as a means of cross-border transfers and access to more flexible financial services.

The report notes that the use of cryptocurrencies has transcended a purely speculative stage and has gradually transformed into tools with practical uses driven by the need for financial inclusion.

Users are no longer limited to transactions, but can access the global financial system through tokenization technology, artificial intelligence agents, and financial services designed for mobile phones.

The study reveals huge structural gaps in financial inclusion globally, mainly in low- and middle-income countries.

According to the World Bank, approximately 1.3 billion adults worldwide are still outside the banking system, equivalent to 21% of global adults, and approximately 73% of them live in developing economies, with more than half of them concentrated in just 8 countries.

The report also noted that a large group of people is classified as “underbanked” – people who have bank accounts but lack basic services such as credit, digital payments, profitable savings or cross-border financial services.

Data shows that around 4.7 billion adults do not have access to credit, while 3.6 billion people in developing countries do not use digital payment methods or bank cards.

Furthermore, only about 40% of adults in these countries save through official channels, and 77% of them receive no return on their savings.

Notably, according to the global “Chainaanalysis” index, five of the eight countries with the largest number of unbanked people are among the 20 countries that have adopted digital currencies, reflecting that digital financial networks have begun to play a role as practical alternatives to traditional systems.

The report highlights several areas where digital currencies can help enhance financial inclusion, notably international transfers and payments, providing access to capital markets, expanding investment opportunities through asset tokenization, and programmable financing, allowing transactions to be conducted through smart applications and agents without direct human intervention.

The data also shows that the growth of digital currency users in emerging markets has significantly exceeded that of developed economies. Driven by the growing demand for more diversified and flexible financial services, the user share of these markets has increased from 49% in 2020 to 77% in 2026.

An internal study conducted by Binance revealed that usage of the platform is no longer limited to trading, as 14% of active users rely on a variety of services such as savings, payments, and investments, with the largest proportion of users concentrated in emerging markets.

The report believes that this shift confirms that blockchain-based financing networks have become an important part of the global discussion about the future of financial inclusion and the broader reshaping of access to financial services.

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