22 October 2021
A recent study by KIS Finance has revealed that almost a third (27.5%) of young adults view cryptocurrencies as a safe form of investment.
With cryptocurrencies being adopted by big tech companies like PayPal, we are expecting consumer confidence in cryptos to continue growing as they become more mainstream by the day.
Percentage of people who view cryptos as a safe investment, by age
18 – 34: 27.5%
35 – 44: 20.9%
45 – 54: 7.9%
55 – 64: 3.7%
65+: 0.9%
As the table shows, adults between the age of 18 and 34 are the age group most likely to view cryptocurrencies as a safe investment strategy, with the figures dropping significantly through the older generations.
However, with trusted money transfer giant PayPal, now also providing a cryptocurrency trading platform, this may be the start of cryptos being seen as a more trustworthy place to invest money for every age group and not just for young adults who have grown up with the concept.
This attitude may also be enhanced by the HM Treasury’s recent talks about CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currency) and how these may be implemented in the future.
Holly Andrews, Managing Director at KIS Finance, says:
“Cryptocurrencies have been around for over a decade, but the volatility has made many people (especially older generations) have an understandable cautious attitude and approach towards them.
However, as technology continues to advance and more and more aspects of our lives move online, cryptocurrencies have become increasingly more mainstream.
It’s to be expected that, at the moment, it’s generally young adults who have more trust in cryptocurrencies as the concept has been around for a much larger percentage of their lives. Our data shows that older adults are still cautious, but we believe that this attitude will start to shift over the next few years.
Cryptocurrencies are by no means a ‘safe’ investment as they are incredibly volatile and can see investors lose large percentages, if not all, of the money they put in very quickly. However, cryptocurrencies are becoming easier to trade and PayPal adopting the currencies onto their platform is a huge step forward for the industry and is likely to ignite an increase in the number of cryptocurrency traders. While this doesn’t make cryptos a safe investment, it may have a psychological impact on those who are worried about validity of online based currencies.
The Treasury has also started to release information regarding CBDCs as a very real possibility for the future, with France already trialling them. While this not a ‘cryptocurrency’, it is a digital form of money which could be implemented across the whole of the UK and other countries around the world.
A government issued digital coin may boost consumer confidence in the whole concept of online financial trading, meaning cryptocurrencies may follow suit.
It’s important to remember, however, that you should only ever invest money that you can afford to lose, especially when it comes to something as unpredictable as cryptocurrencies. Consider getting professional financial advice before investing and never used credit facilities, such as credit cards or an overdraft, to fund your investments.”