А research from consumer sentiments firm Toluna discovered that a whopping 75% of investors in Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin American (LATAM) emerging markets are looking to increase their exposure to cryptocurrency investments.
The survey, involving 9,000 people from 17 countries, showcased that more investors in APAC and LATAM emerging markets believe cryptocurrency investments are on a long-term upward trend. Тhe stance of the surveyed APAC and LATAM investors have а more crypto-friendly sentiment than developed markets that tend to believe crypto is in the midst of another hype cycle.
According to the Toluna survey, emerging markets appear to be the most lucrative markets for growth in the crypto space. It turns out 32% of consumers surveyed have trust in cryptocurrency compared with just 14% in developed markets such as the United States and the European Union.
Crypto awareness is among the major factors differentiating the two markets since 61% of respondents reported that they are aware of crypto, but only 23% said they are familiar with the asset class. According to the researchers, the main cause of the gap between crypto awareness and crypto familiarity is because “it’s a complex concept that’s not easily understood.”
Also, the researchers noted that crypto and NFT advertising is easily reachable, which further expands the gap between crypto awareness and crypto familiarity.
The disparity, fueled by the relative difference in trust, is evident in the percentage of those who have invested in crypto in emerging markets (41%) and those in developed ones (22%). Furthermore, investors in emerging markets feel less of a risk putting money into cryptos when compared to investors in developed markets. Nevertheless, the overall perceived risk in crypto remains high.
“45% of consumers agree that cryptocurrencies are not guaranteed to succeed”, the survey reported, adding that “whereas 61% of consumers trust fixed, traditional deposits, just 23% say they trust cryptocurrency deposits in today’s market.”
The Toluna survey also made an observation about the age dispersion in emerging markets. It turns out Millennials are more likely to involve themselves in the crypto market. An average of 40.5% of Millennials surveyed aged 25-34 in emerging and developed markets invest in crypto.
The data from the survey closely match those of the Morning Consult’s survey, which found out that 48% of Millennial households surveyed owned crypto by December 2021. Also, Gen Z investors are seemingly catching up to Millennials, as the survey reported 40% of their respondents, aged 18-24 may invest or already invested in cryptos.
In contrast, Baby boomers, aged 57-64, are still wary of crypto investments, as only 21% report plans to invest in crypto.