The State of Investing & Crypto in several markets

2020 was a 12 months of super development within the cryptocurrency business. We noticed Bitcoin attain new highs, as famend monetary establishments invested on this revolutionary asset class and enthusiasm throughout the market bounced again.

Final 12 months, bitFlyer Europe performed the survey in European nations measuring the consciousness and religion within the way forward for crypto. Again then two thirds of Europeans admitted to having religion that cryptocurrencies will still exist in 10 years’ time, nonetheless the bulk are nonetheless unsure how they are going to be used.

In September 2020, when evaluating our information from 2020 to 2018, we now have seen a rise in accounts opened by users in their 20s within the first half of 2020 at group degree.

As a international cryptocurrency alternate that has places of work, amongst others, in San Francisco, CA, and Tokyo, Japan, this time we determined to dive deep into the present state of investing and cryptocurrencies within the US and Japan, and discover the variations between these two huge and fascinating markets. Our survey focused 3000 contributors aged 20-59 throughout Japan and the US.

Key findings from our analysis:

• Two-thirds of individuals within the US mentioned they’re fascinated about investing extra in monetary belongings in 2021.
• 30% of People assume Bitcoin/Cryptocurrencies will probably be a gorgeous funding this 12 months, making it two occasions extra widespread than Gold and the 4th most chosen asset. The preferred asset was shares at 54%.
• 82% of the US inhabitants has heard about cryptocurrencies.
• Roughly 20% of respondents within the US are presently utilizing or have used cryptocurrencies up to now.
• 76% of individuals within the US which have heard about crypto have a optimistic notion about cryptocurrencies as an funding. In Japan, 78% of the respondents have a damaging notion, displaying a fairly robust distinction between the 2 areas.
• Our analysis reveals that the present market sentiment amongst American traders is very bullish in comparison with the Japanese, reinforcing the argument that the final run-up in value was primarily pushed by US traders.

The State of Investing

Our analysis reveals that 82% of individuals within the US put money into monetary belongings, with nearly a 3rd of the inhabitants allocating over 1 / 4 of their web value into investments. Then again, in Japan, 69% of individuals don’t put money into monetary belongings, displaying a major distinction throughout the 2 areas.

In each the US and Japan, males have a tendency to speculate greater than girls, whereas additionally allocating a better share of their web value into their investments.

There’s additionally a major distinction within the outlook for investing this 12 months. 68% of respondents within the US are planning to speculate or proceed investing, whereas that determine is solely 18% in Japan.

Why are individuals investing in 2021?

Throughout the globe, one of the vital widespread causes individuals wish to make investments this 12 months is to put together for the long run and improve their long-term web value. A big share of respondents wish to diversify their revenue by means of investments and imagine that investing is the strongest and quickest approach to develop their capital.

“To be able to construct your wealth, you’ll want to make investments your cash. Investing means that you can put your cash in autos which have the potential to earn robust charges of return. In case you do not make investments, you might be lacking out on alternatives to extend your monetary value.” — (male in his 30s, US)

After final 12 months’s occasions, extra individuals are listening to the market in hopes of capitalizing on a potential financial rebound this 12 months.

“This can be a nice time to speculate, hopefully issues can solely get higher and go up.” — (feminine in her 30s, US)

Low rates of interest are additionally fueling individuals’s motivation to allocate their wealth into funding belongings. We are able to see an analogous pattern in Japan.

“Curiosity is just too low for deposits and financial savings. I believe it’s higher to handle your capital with some danger” — (male in his 40s, Japan).

Why are individuals not seeking to put money into monetary belongings?

There’s an fascinating distinction in why individuals are not seeking to make investments throughout the 2 areas. One of the crucial widespread explanation why individuals within the US usually are not planning to speculate this 12 months is due to monetary challenges created by the COVID-19 disaster.

“I’ve no job presently, so no revenue. Cannot make investments what you do not have” — (male in his 30s, US)

“Cash may be very tight as a result of pandemic” — (feminine in her 30s, US)

Our information reveals that, logically, individuals with decrease incomes are 40% much less prone to make investments. This, amidst the latest surge in COVID-19 instances and modifications in energy within the US, has elevated individuals’s uncertainty and worry of what’s going to occur subsequent on the macroeconomic degree.

What’s most fascinating, nonetheless, is that the foremost cause why People don’t make investments isn’t due to the dangers of dropping cash. They primarily don’t do it as a result of they don’t have the mandatory assets. In Japan, it’s a special story.

Whereas the financial affect from the COVID-19 disaster additionally impacted many individuals’s skill to put money into Japan, the vast majority of those that mentioned that they aren’t seeking to make investments highlighted the potential dangers related to investing, somewhat than a scarcity of assets to take action.

“I do not need to lose even 0.0001% of my cash. I do not need to put money into something that has the chance of dropping even a small amount of cash. Nevertheless, if there’s a no-risk, high-return funding, I’ll positively do it” — (male in his 40s in Japan)

“I believe funding is identical as playing. I do not need to do harmful issues like dropping cash.” — (Male in his 30s in Japan)

“I do not know how you can do it, and it appears that there’s a excessive danger of loss.” — (feminine in her 30s in Japan)

There’s a transparent distinction within the sentiment in the direction of investing between the 2 areas. We see individuals within the US being much more open to investing and having an even bigger need to diversify their revenue by means of investing. In Japan individuals are inclined to have a way more cautious stance.

The State of Crypto

Cryptocurrency adoption is greater within the US than it’s in Japan. Within the US, 22% of respondents have invested in crypto sooner or later – over 4 occasions greater than Japan.

Equally with investing, the sentiment in the direction of cryptocurrencies is rather a lot stronger within the US than it’s in Japan. 76% of the respondents within the US who’ve heard about cryptocurrencies have a optimistic notion about cryptocurrencies as an funding, whereas in Japan it was the exact opposite.

What’s driving individuals’s optimistic notion about cryptocurrencies?

Folks like cryptocurrencies within the US and Japan for very related causes. One of the crucial widespread ones is the rising reputation of cryptocurrencies and its exceptional rise in value, which makes it a really enticing funding.

“Cryptos are rising at a quick price and I really feel they may continue to grow and be very worthwhile” — (male in his 20s, US)

“I noticed within the information that the worth has elevated just lately” — (male in his 20s in Japan)

However it’s not solely its run-up in value that’s getting individuals’s consideration. Many respondents highlighted crypto’s worth propositions and imagine in its long-term worth.

“I really feel [cryptocurrencies] put you in management versus huge Wall avenue companies. You should buy/promote 24/7. Some have mounted amount versus shares that may at all times situation new shares and many others” — (male in his 50s, US)

“Cryptocurrency appears to be gaining momentum with the fallout of world and nationwide foreign money programs.” — (feminine in her 20s, US)

Furthermore, in 2020 we noticed a wave of establishments coming into the cryptocurrency house, and individuals within the US seen. Institutional participation solidified individuals’s long-term outlook for crypto, and even their notion of it.

“Massive establishments have been beginning to purchase crypto, which may drive up shortage and subsequently the worth. That, and after a decade it doesn’t seem to be it’s going anyplace anytime quickly.” — (male in his 20s, US)

“I selected optimistic as a result of I positively assume it has leveled out now. To start with it was positively damaging (from what I heard). I believe it’s a brand new approach of investing.” — (Feminine in her 20s, US)

Why do individuals have damaging perceptions about cryptocurrencies?

Whereas the worth of Bitcoin has elevated over 250% within the final 12 months, many individuals are nonetheless afraid of its excessive value volatility.

Moreover, after seeing many incidents reminiscent of hacks and stories from mass media, many are involved in regards to the crypto’s safety dangers and utilization right now. In Japan, the place the overwhelming majority of individuals have damaging perceptions about crypto, these safety considerations have been paramount and deep-rooted into individuals’s perceptions.

“There was a digital foreign money incident within the information some time in the past.” — (male in his 40s, Japan)

“There’s a risk of somebody stealing it” — (male in his 30s, Japan)

Lastly, as with every new know-how, there’s a huge studying curve.

“I don’t know sufficient about it to have a optimistic opinion” — (feminine in her 30s, US)

Many individuals don’t perceive cryptocurrencies properly sufficient as a way to make a correct judgment about them, which finally impacts their notion. As individuals learn more about cryptocurrencies, we are able to count on this to vary sooner or later.

Which funding belongings do individuals assume will probably be most engaging in 2021?

54% of respondents assume shares will probably be a gorgeous funding in 2021, making it the hottest asset within the US.

Crypto was two occasions extra widespread than Gold and likewise the 4th hottest asset, as 30% of People imagine will probably be an enticing funding alternative. In Japan, crypto was the fifth hottest asset, as individuals favored different funding autos reminiscent of Mutual Funds and FX.

Diving deeper into the completely different segments, we noticed that for traders within the US with the highest degree of expertise crypto was the third hottest asset. This group highlighted the excessive development that cryptocurrencies have skilled these days and imagine will probably be one of the vital worthwhile investments.

“ETFs are straightforward and low price foundation, actual property will at all times produce earnings and bitcoin is gaining steam and can proceed to in 2021” — (male in his 40s with greater than 10 years of funding expertise, US)

Then again, crypto was the second hottest asset amongst the least skilled traders. Crypto’s run-up in value and rising adoption spiked the curiosity of this group, which wish to capitalize on the newest traits out there.

Wrapping up

A big share of People wish to make investments this 12 months, as they view it as one of many best methods to extend their wealth. The alternative was true in Japan, the place traders have a extra conservative stance.

Furthermore, the adoption of cryptocurrencies within the US has grown considerably during the last 12 months, as we’ve seen an rising variety of American firms allocating capital into this new asset class and increasing their providers to cowl this revolutionary know-how. The market sentiment is presently very optimistic, particularly when in comparison with the Japanese market.

The outlook for cryptocurrencies this 12 months appears to be like very promising within the US because it continues rising in reputation, particularly with the brand new technology of traders which favored the asset greater than anybody else. This may be signal for Europe as training about cryptocurrency and the need to diversify funding portfolios is at all times rising.

Regardless of the bearish sentiment in Japan, it stays as one of the vital essential markets on the earth and with one of the vital structured regulatory frameworks globally.

Since 2014, our mission as a world firm has been to supply the best and most safe technique to entry cryptocurrencies all over the world. We plan to proceed specializing in providing the very best degree of safety to our clients and new merchandise to supply extra worth.

Already a bitFlyer customer? Login!


New to bitFlyer? Register now!

Survey methodology

• Survey interval: January 5, 2021-January 11, 2021
• Goal group: A complete of three,000 customers (20-59 years outdated) residing within the US and Japanese markets. Japan n = 2,000, USA n = 1,000
• The info of every market adjusts the composition of gender and age primarily based on the census outcomes in order that the traits of customers within the surveyed nations are appropriately mirrored.
• Survey technique: WEB questionnaire survey

* When utilizing the survey outcomes of this launch, please specify [Survey by bitFlyer USA.].