Awareness of Crypto is High, but Trust needs to be built Mastercard Research Finds

Interest in crypto has skyrocketed the past few years. Around the globe, people are adopting crypto currencies as the number of transactions have climbed.  

But there’s still a long way to go in terms of education to deepen understanding of currencies and the underlying technologies that make them work. Additionally, people want more established organizations, including governments and banks, involved in digital currency transactions to help build trust — which will be crucial if crypto payments are going to continue to rise.   

Mastercard’s 2022 New Payments Index, a global survey of more than 35,000 respondents, found broad awareness of cryptocurrencies. Payments made using crypto almost doubled in the last year.  

The New Payments Index found that around 40% of global consumers interacted with crypto over the last year, with some 30% opening a crypto wallet, trading currencies (27%) or holding them as investments (29%). Around half of global consumers agree they are interested in other uses of crypto like making payments for everyday products (51%) or buying digital assets (49%). Younger users are adapting digital currencies more quickly than older generations.   

But while more than 90% of consumers know about digital currencies, most admit to only having a shallow grasp of how they work and of the blockchain technology that drives them. 

And the security and stability of digital currencies – or potential lack thereof – is weighing on consumers’ minds: In the survey, respondents ranked emerging payments such as crypto as less secure than using age-old cash or simply swiping a credit card. While 93% of consumers expect to make a payment digitally over the next year, 53% say security plays a big role in deciding which payment method they want to use. Building peoples’ trust in the security of transactions and the value of crypto currencies will go a long way toward more people embracing crypto as a form of payment beyond just an investment.  

One way to fortify trust is through clear, consistent regulations. The survey showed that overall, consumers agree that making sure the crypto industry is better regulated and secure would give them much greater peace of mind when it comes to both investing and making payments. 

The Mastercard survey showed 63% of respondents feel their governments should be responsible for regulating crypto and 59% agree they would feel more comfortable knowing digital currencies were issued and backed by a reputable organization.  

Many consumers think their banks should get on board and offer ways to make it easier to transfer money in and out of crypto assets. They would also be interested in using bank cards that pay crypto rewards and want their financial institutions to give them easier access to crypto trading.  

There’s an overwhelming thirst for knowledge and education to better understand how to use digital currencies safely and effectively. Even those already comfortable with crypto say they would use it more frequently if they had a better grasp of how it works. 

As the industry moves into its next phase, increasing education and security need to be top of mind for all executives. Consumers are on the threshold and curious, building trust in crypto will help them to take the next step. 

To learn more, check out the full report here. 

Worldwide 2022 New Payments Index consumer polling by Mastercard demonstrates consumers’ evolving attitudes on and preferences for emerging payments in the future. 

CONSUMER SURVEY METHODOLOGY 2022 

Online interviews among 35,040 global adults, includes nationally representative samples from markets across 5 regions:  

• NAM (n=2,001) 
• LAC (n=6,004) 
• Europe (n=11,522) 
• EEMEA (n=8,509) 
• AP (n=7,004) 

 Research conducted by The Harris Poll and Mastercard Global Foresights, Insights and Analytics from March 21 to April 21, 2022. 

This post is commissioned by Mastercard and does not serve as a testimonial or endorsement by The Block. This post is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment, tax, legal or other advice. You should conduct your own research and consult independent counsel and advisors on the matters discussed within this post. Past performance of any asset is not indicative of future results.