Bitcoin investors are generally thought of as younger people, but the truth is that the average investor is 45 years old, and the average investor interested in bitcoin is 42. There are several other common perceptions about investors in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which a recent Grayscale survey, reveals may be far from reality. Conducted by Q8 Research, this survey asked 1,100 U.S. investors between the ages of 25 and 64 about bitcoin, and found that over one-third of US investors would consider an investment in bitcoin, which roughly translates to 21 million people.
One area that does conform to the common perception is that men are more likely to be interested in bitcoin than women. While the overall investor base surveyed was 49% men and 51% women, men made up 57% of those who said they were interested in bitcoin.
The 1,100 investors surveyed were asked about 28 different financial news outlets in print, online, and TV formats, and all 28 are more likely to be read or watched by investors interested in bitcoin. Around a quarter of bitcoin-interested investors said they read content on The Motley Fool. Among the general investing public, that number is 13%.
Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold,” as many people who own bitcoin see it more as a store of value than as a payment mechanism. Grayscale’s survey found that 55% of investors believe gold is a good investment.
When asked about their top concerns, many investors agreed on some factors that may be keeping them out of the cryptocurrency market, around 75% cited digital crime as the reason. The other reasons included lack of regulation in the cryptocurrency market and lack of information.