Adoption Score Methodology
Our scoring system evaluates each country across three dimensions of Bitcoin adoption, providing a transparent and data-driven ranking.
The Readiness Index v3.1 — current
The published ranking is the SatsAtlas Bitcoin Readiness Index v3.1: nine pillars, percentile-normalized within the scored cohort, weighted and renormalized over the pillars a country actually has (at least half the total weight is required to be scored at all). Alongside the composite we publish two sub-indexes: Adoption (what is happening) and Conditions (what the country offers).
| Pillar | Weight | Sub-index | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usage | 0.20 | Adoption | BTC Map merchants per million, Lightning-share weighted (v3) |
| Legal | 0.19 | Conditions | Curated legal/tax framework research (below) |
| Infrastructure | 0.15 | Conditions | Curated infra score + ATM count |
| Access | 0.10 | Adoption | On-ramps available (exchange directory) |
| Incentive | 0.09 | Conditions | CPI inflation + negative real policy rate (BIS, v3) |
| Institutional | 0.07 | Adoption | Corporate treasury BTC headquartered there |
| Sovereignty | 0.07 | Adoption | Reachable Bitcoin nodes per million (Bitnodes, v3) |
| Momentum | 0.07 | Adoption | 90-day change in the underlying adoption score (v3) |
| Need | 0.06 | Conditions | Personal remittances received, % of GDP (World Bank, v3.1) |
Version note: v3 (July 2026) added the Lightning-quality weighting, the sharpened incentive pillar, momentum, sovereignty and the sub-indexes; v3.1 added the remittances-based need pillar. Scores are not comparable across versions — treat any jump at the version boundary as methodology, not reality. The sections below document the curated 0–100 country scores that feed the Legal and Infrastructure pillars.
Legal Framework
Score range: 0 -- 100
The Legal Framework score evaluates the regulatory environment for Bitcoin in each country. A higher score indicates a clearer, more favorable legal landscape for Bitcoin users and businesses.
Factors evaluated:
- Legal status -- Whether Bitcoin is recognized as legal tender, legal property, or is restricted/banned
- Regulatory clarity -- Existence of clear regulations and licensing frameworks for exchanges and businesses
- Tax treatment -- Clarity and favorability of tax laws for Bitcoin transactions, capital gains, and mining
- Government stance -- Official government position and any active initiatives promoting or restricting Bitcoin
Adoption Level
Score range: 0 -- 100
The Adoption Level score measures how actively Bitcoin is used in everyday life. This goes beyond theoretical legal acceptance to capture real-world usage patterns and community engagement.
Factors evaluated:
- Merchant acceptance -- Number and density of businesses accepting Bitcoin payments
- P2P trading volume -- Volume of peer-to-peer Bitcoin trading on platforms like Bisq, HodlHodl, and others
- Public awareness -- Search interest, media coverage, and general population awareness of Bitcoin
- Community activity -- Bitcoin meetups, conferences, educational initiatives, and local community size
Infrastructure
Score range: 0 -- 100
The Infrastructure score assesses the technical and financial infrastructure available for Bitcoin usage. Countries with more accessible on-ramps, off-ramps, and network infrastructure score higher.
Factors evaluated:
- Exchange availability -- Number of licensed exchanges operating in the country and ease of account setup
- ATM density -- Number of Bitcoin ATMs relative to population and geographic coverage
- Lightning Network -- Number of Lightning nodes, channels, and capacity within the country
- Full nodes -- Number of Bitcoin full nodes operating per capita, indicating network decentralization
Total Score Calculation
Weighted average
The Total Score is calculated as a weighted average of the three category scores. Currently, all three categories are weighted equally, reflecting our belief that legal clarity, real-world adoption, and infrastructure are all essential for sustainable Bitcoin adoption.
Total Score = (Legal Framework + Adoption Level + Infrastructure) / 3
Legal Framework
33.3%
Adoption Level
33.3%
Infrastructure
33.3%
Data Sources
Our scoring data is compiled from multiple authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness:
- Government regulatory publications and official legal frameworks
- CoinATMRadar for Bitcoin ATM location and density data
- Lightning Network explorers for node count and channel capacity
- Bitnodes for Bitcoin full node distribution data
- P2P exchange platforms (Bisq, HodlHodl) for trading volume
- Academic research and industry reports on crypto adoption
- BTC Map for merchant acceptance data
- Google Trends for public interest and awareness metrics
Scores are updated periodically as new data becomes available and regulatory landscapes evolve. We aim to refresh scores at least quarterly.