Interest in Bitcoin Set to Double in Europe?????

People hear and know more about cryptocurrencies with every passing day, and according to a new survey, interest in Bitcoin is expected to increase twofold in Europe. The poll gauges the awareness of cryptocurrencies and the expectations for their future. The survey, carried out by Ipsos for the Dutch banking giant ING, reveals how cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are perceived in 2018. It does so by interviewing almost 15,000 respondents in 15 European countries, the United States and Australia. A surprising discovery was those younger people, in the brackets 25-34 and 35-44 years, are not necessarily much more knowledgeable than other age groups. For example, 60% of European respondents aged 65 or older shared they had heard of cryptocurrency. Tech-savvy Europeans, typically those using their mobile devices for online banking, are more likely to have heard of cryptocurrencies (69%) than the rest (59%), the researchers point out. The share of people owning cryptocurrency in Europe is still relatively low – 9% said they had purchased bitcoin or any other crypto, with the data for Australia (7%) and the US (8%) showing similar results. Luxembourg (4%) and Belgium (5%) are at the bottom of the table, while Eastern European countries, like Poland (11%) and Romania (12%), are among the leaders in the survey. Turkey, with its staggering 18%, tops the chart. In Europe, “mobile bankers” (12%), males (13%) and young people between 25 and 34 years old (16%) are again more likely to own cryptocurrency.

The good news is that one in four Europeans (25%) expects to acquire cryptocurrency in the future, which translates into a 16% potential increase in the share of crypto owners. Again, the percentage of those likely to say they expect to buy cryptocurrency is higher among people using their smartphones for banking. Generally, those Europeans that are at least aware of cryptocurrencies are also less likely to purchase crypto assets. Elsewhere, 15% of Australian respondents believe they would own cryptos in the future, while the same can be said for 21% of Americans.In general, the researchers conclude, younger people and residents of countries with lower per-capita income levels are more likely to consider cryptocurrency as a payment option. At the moment, 15% of Europeans would accept their salary in cryptocurrency.