More than half of Russians have some knowledge about bitcoin, according to a new survey. Awareness is higher among young people and in major cities.
In a year with major developments for bitcoin, many more Russians have become aware of the first crypto. 56% of them now say they know about Bitcoin, according to a recent survey conducted by VCIOM, the “All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion”. The number of knowledgeable respondents rises to 66% of active internet users.
The awareness among young Russians has reached 75% (18 to 24-years-olds), and 71% of all men know about bitcoin. 74% of the residents of the capital Moscow and the second-largest city Saint Petersburg have already learned about the decentralized cryptocurrency.
Few of the informed, however, possess profound knowledge of bitcoin. Only a third of them know that anyone can obtain it – 34%, and some 16% think that bitcoin is actually banned in Russia. More than a quarter know, though, that coins are not only purchased, but can be mined, as well (29%). Another 44% are aware that cashing them out is not yet legalized in Russia.
Better Known as Means of Payment
Despite often described to them as asset and defined as “other property”, 40% of the participants in study know they can use bitcoin to buy and sell goods and services. The question about how secure it is to keep funds on the blockchain divides Russians. 36% of them believe that it’s hard to steal digital cash. The sceptics, who think that’s easy, form 33% of the sample.
Bitcoin is not very popular as an investment opportunity in Russia, the study finds out. Two thirds of the people that know about it, or 67%, consider spending fiat rubles on bitcoins unprofitable. Only 9% of all Russians reckon they will buy the cryptocurrency in the future.
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