Crypto Pulse survey: popularity of cryptocurrency increases in Q2 of 2022

What’s new? The Crypto Pulse survey, commissioned by exchange Bitstamp, found that investors have not lost trust in cryptocurrencies, despite the lingering crypto winter. The survey was conducted between May 19 and June 6, 2022, with more than 28 000 retail and institutional investors in 23 countries taking part.

Results of the Crypto Pulse survey

The situation in the UK and Europe. Independent researchers surveyed more than 10 000 retail investors and 2000 institutional investors in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. One of the biggest issues keeping retail investors from entering the market is considered to be consumer education. One in five (21%) of those not currently investing in cryptocurrencies in Europe said they would like to do so but lack knowledge.

The percentage of retail investors who rate cryptocurrencies as a safe investment fell to 52% on average from 54% in April, though the figure varied from country to country. The survey also found that the share of retail investors who want more regulation of cryptocurrency markets increased from 23% to 26%.

Nearly a third (31%) of the more than 2000 institutional decision makers said their companies plan to increase investments in cryptocurrencies in the second quarter, up from 28% in the first quarter. Attitudes toward adopting cryptocurrencies as a primary payment method also increased, with 47% of consumers in European markets saying they would be comfortable paying for everyday items with cryptocurrency.

The situation in the Americas. Retailers in most of the Americas continued to show greater trust in cryptocurrencies in the second quarter. It remained high in countries such as Brazil at 77%, Chile at 69%, and Mexico at 70%.

The US showed the largest increase in trust, from 61% in the first quarter to 73% in the second quarter, as well as an increase in the number of retail investors who said they are currently investing in cryptocurrency, from 42% to 61% for the quarter. As for cryptocurrency education, the data showed that in the US and Canada, 44% of respondents felt that their knowledge was not enough to start working with cryptocurrencies. In Latin America, the figure was similar.

Institutional investors also continue to show interest in cryptocurrencies: 78% of institutional investors surveyed in Mexico actively recommend cryptocurrencies to their clients, followed by Brazil at 72% and Argentina at 71%. In the US, 69% of institutions actively recommend cryptocurrencies.

The situation in the Asia-Pacific region. Researchers surveyed participants from Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and India. According to the results, institutional investors perceive crypto winter as an investment opportunity for the future. In Singapore, more than one-third of institutional investors favored investing more (35%), expanding their clients' knowledge base (33%), and investing in expanding their crypto offerings (34%).

In Australia, institutional investors are showing a more proactive approach. 38% said they intend to increase their crypto investments. The percentage of investors who said they would make cryptocurrency their primary source of investment was 25%. 

Institutional investors in Hong Kong are taking a more cautious, wait-and-see approach and have made little change in their strategies from the first quarter. They remain unchanged in their plans to expand their clients' knowledge base (29%), add more cryptocurrencies (27%), diversify crypto investments (33%), and make cryptocurrencies their primary source of investment (19%).

Earlier, the Pew Research Center published the results of a survey of adult cryptocurrency investors in the United States. 46% of respondents who had ever invested, traded, or used cryptocurrency were dissatisfied with the results of their actions.