eToro ‘Retail Investor Beat’ survey reveals strong crypto enthusiasm
Online broker eToro today published the key findings of its latest ‘Retail Investor Beat’ survey.
Enthusiasm around cryptoassets remained strong this quarter, with 39% of respondents saying bitcoin presents the best investment buying opportunity, up from 36% last quarter. This was followed by ether (19%), litecoin (11%), dogecoin (10%), solana (7%), shiba inu (7%), cardano (7%), XRP (6%), dash (6%) and polkadot (5%).
This enthusiasm is spurred on by the belief that crypto is a transformative asset class (28%), can provide strong returns (27%), store of value (23%) and a hedge against inflation (17%).
International conflict has surged to the top of DIY investors’ risk list overtaking inflation. The survey reveals that 57% of respondents said international conflict poses the biggest external risk to their investments, up from 26% in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Further, the survey shows that 47% of investors remain concerned about inflation’s impact on investments, followed by the state of the global economy (37%) and rising interest rates (21%).
While a surge in volatility is a difficult environment for any investor to navigate, the majority of retail investors surveyed remain confident in their portfolios (73%), with only 41% repositioning in light of these risks and more than half of respondents (52%) planning to consistently invest the same amount of money over the next 12 months.
DIY investors’ ability to look ahead and beyond short-term volatility is seen through their commitment to the long term investment themes they are considering. The survey reveals 38% see opportunities in clean technology (37% last quarter), digital transformation (32%, down from 33%), cryptoassets and digital payments (26%, up from 22%), robotics and automation (25%, up from 24%) and ageing populations (24%, up from 23%).