Ljubljana, the capital and largest city of Slovenia, is the world’s most crypto-friendly city, followed by Hong Kong, Zurich, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, a new report finds.

The Central European city got a score of 173 out of 180 points in the inaugural edition of Crypto Friendly Cities Index, released by global migration platform Multipolitan.

The top cities were chosen using five metrics: regulatory environment ( licensing framework, incentive programmes ), tax regime, wealth and lifestyle ( GDP per capita, housing prices, quality of life ), digital infrastructure ( internet speed, smart city ranking ) and crypto infrastructure ( crypto ATMs, retail adoption rate ).

Hong Kong and Zurich came in close with an identical score of 172, followed by Singapore and Abu Dhabi, both with a score of 168.

“Most crypto-friendly indices focus only on tax advantages, but the reality is far more complex. While tax policies matter, regulation, legal clarity, and real-world adoption are equally crucial in determining a city’s crypto friendliness,” Multipolitan says in its Crypto Report 2025: The Future Is On-Chain.

Also in the report is a Crypto Wealth Concentration Index, based on crypto ownership rate and trading volume ( adjusted by the Gini coefficient for inequality ).

Slovenia was on top with an average of US$248,468.19 per crypto owner, followed by Cyprus ( US$174,972.89 ), Hong Kong ( 97,531.48 ), South Korea ( 94,827.77 ), and Singapore ( 85,536.63 ).

Blockchain investors

Millennials and Gen Zs are adopting crypto at rates up to three times higher than Baby Boomers, the report notes. Younger generations now allocate roughly 12% to 17% of their portfolios to crypto, with many viewing it as a viable alternative to traditional assets like stocks and bonds.

“Younger generations, who grew up digital-first, are redefining investment portfolios and wealth preservation strategies through crypto. Understanding these shifts is vital for investors and policymakers alike,” says Abhishek Menon, managing partner, the Middle East, at Multipolitan.

Other findings:

• High-net-worth crypto investors increasingly seek alternative citizenship and residency in jurisdictions like the United Arab Emirates, Malta, and Portugal, leveraging favourable regulations to protect and grow their digital wealth.
• Countries like Estonia, South Korea, and Palau are pioneering digital IDs and blockchain governance models, illustrating the transformative potential of decentralized technology in public service delivery.
• The tokenization market is forecast to surpass US$2 trillion by 2030, redefining global wealth creation and asset management practices.

Borderless entrepreneurship

The report notes that blockchain and digital finance are fostering borderless entrepreneurship, allowing start-ups and businesses to operate seamlessly across geographies through decentralized platforms. Tools like smart contracts and crypto-native payment systems are creating transparent, agile ways of building organisations and wealth.

“Barbados has an ambassador to the metaverse. Estonia offers e-residency. Zug accepts taxes in bitcoin. El Salvador made bitcoin legal tender. Palau is issuing blockchain-backed digital IDs. These aren’t gimmicks – they’re signals. Forward-thinking nations are starting to operate more like platforms than bureaucracies. Governance is going on-chain," says Dan Marconi, managing partner, Latin America, at Multipolitan.

Multipolitan describes itself as “the world’s first and only product-driven global migration platform, simplifying international travel, relocation, business setup, and asset management for borderless enthusiasts”. It was launched in 2024.