Bitcoin (BTC) scored an average trust rating of 4.67 on a 10-point scale across 25 countries, according to a survey released by Cornell Bitcoin Club on Sept. 3.

The survey reveals significant regional variations in perceptions of cryptocurrency. Nigeria led global Bitcoin trust levels, while Japan recorded the lowest scores among surveyed nations.

BTC consistently ranked below traditional assets, including gold, real estate, and major fiat currencies in risk perception comparisons.

Government trust patterns

Ten countries reported higher trust in Bitcoin than their national governments: Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, and Venezuela. These regions represent emerging markets or nations experiencing political instability.

The UAE, China, and Saudi Arabia demonstrated high levels of government trust, which significantly exceeded Bitcoin confidence ratings. The pattern suggests Bitcoin attracts interest where institutional trust has eroded, positioning crypto as an alternative to centralized authority.

Survey participants consistently rated Bitcoin as riskier than traditional investment options across all categories. However, 45% of respondents considered Bitcoin equally risky compared to stocks, while 43% viewed it as equivalent to corporate bonds, indicating some alignment with established volatile asset classes.

Questions about Bitcoin’s fraud reduction capabilities, privacy protection, and service provider trustworthiness produced predominantly neutral responses rather than clear endorsement or rejection.

The pattern suggests widespread uncertainty about Bitcoin’s practical benefits rather than informed skepticism.

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Financial stress correlation

Countries reporting higher financial stress levels, measured by responses to “my finances control my life,” generally showed increased Bitcoin ownership and trust.

Turkey, India, Kenya, and South Africa recorded the highest financial stress indicators alongside elevated Bitcoin adoption rates.

El Salvador, Switzerland, China, and Italy reported the lowest financial stress levels, correlating with reduced Bitcoin interest. Mexico, Italy, and Japan ranked lowest in both financial stress and cryptocurrency adoption metrics.

While correlation does not establish causation, the data suggest Bitcoin may appeal as an alternative financial system in regions experiencing acute economic pressure.

The Cornell study indicates Bitcoin’s global position reflects local economic contexts and institutional trust levels rather than uniform acceptance or rejection patterns.

Uncertainty rather than outright dismissal characterizes the views of most respondents on cryptocurrency capabilities.

The phrase “we are still early” remains a popular sentiment in the crypto community in 2025, suggesting that despite bitcoin’s (BTC) price surpassing $100,000, the overall adoption of digital assets is still in its infancy.

Morgan Stalney’s recent survey of financial professionals confirms this sentiment. The investment banking giant surveyed more than 500 summer interns in North America from June 10 to 27, and 147 summer interns in Europe from June 26 to July 7.

The survey revealed that only 18% of interns own or use cryptocurrencies, increasing from 13% the previous year. Meanwhile, the percentage of interns interested in digital assets has risen to 26% from 23%. Meanwhile, 55% still do not care for digital assets, a majority, although the number has receded from 63% last year.

The widespread lack of interest appears significant, especially considering that BTC has already gained acceptance on Wall Street through the introduction of ETFs.

The 11 spot BTC ETFs have amassed $53.7 billion in investor wealth since their debut in January last year, according to data source Farside Investors. Ether ETFs have registered an inflow of $12.4 billion. Corporations are rapidly adding both assets to their balance sheets.

BTC’s price has surpassed $100,000 this year, gaining a foothold in institutional investor portfolios. Ether hit a record high of over $4,800 on Friday.

More open to AI

The survey revealed a clear adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by future finance industry leaders, with 96% of U.S. interns and 91% of their European counterparts reporting the use of technology at least occasionally.

The consensus is that AI is effective, with nearly all respondents agreeing they “save me time” and are “easy to use”. However, 88% of interns also had a nuanced view, believing the technology still “needs accuracy improvement.”

The widespread adoption is consistent with the sentiment on Wall Street, where the Mag 7 firms are expected to spend $650 billion in capital expenditures and research and development this year.

Trillion dollar humanoids market

The survey revealed that most interns are interested in owning humanoids, or sophisticated machines designed with a human-like form and capabilities, but are cautious about their impact on society.

Over 60% of U.S. interns and 69% of European interns expressed interest in having a humanoid at home, with both regions believing the robots will have “viable use cases” and replace many human jobs.

Still, only 36% of U.S. interns and 24% of Europeans agreed that humanoids will have a positive impact on society.

Morgan Stanley estimates that the humanoid market could surpass $5 trillion by 2050, including sales from supply chains and networks for repair, maintenance and support.

“Although humanoids are still under development, there could be more than 1 billion by 2050, with 90% used for industrial and commercial purposes,” the investment banking giant said in a report in May.

A wave of anecdotes from industry figures and onlookers has pushed XRP into everyday talk in some circles, but the picture is mixed.

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According to a recent podcast episode featuring several crypto commentators, guests flagged “mania signals” as a way to spot when an asset is going mainstream.

Some guests said they are now hearing XRP mentioned in casual settings, while others point to counterexamples that suggest the trend is not universal.

Uber Drivers Talk Crypto

Based on reports from the Unchained podcast and social posts, one guest said they had taken multiple Uber rides where drivers were trading XRP.

That comment was later amplified on social media, with others sharing similar encounters.

Reports have disclosed that another well-known community figure said Uber drivers in Nevada and Michigan even recognized him as “that XRP lawyer guy” after his advocacy in the Ripple–SEC case. Those anecdotes add color to claims of growing retail chatter.

I’ve had 2 different Uber drivers in 2 different states (Nevada & Michigan) bring up XRP to me during the last 3 months.

They said: “You look familiar” and “I know you.”

I replied: “I ran for U.S. Senate against Elizabeth Warren.”

Both quickly responded: “No that’s not it -… https://t.co/hsmppCsXRt

— John E Deaton (@JohnEDeaton1) August 14, 2025

Small Survey Finds Little Uptake

A separate, small experiment tested the idea directly. A commentator took 25 Uber rides in Ontario and asked each driver whether they held XRP.

Most drivers were confused or said they did not own any crypto. One driver reported holding XRP, having bought at $1.67, and said they planned to hold long-term.

Based on that sample, the experiment’s author concluded that the “Uber driver” story is overstated, or that early buyers may have already cashed out.

Retail Buzz Versus Real Adoption

Analysts differ on what these encounters mean. According to a Bloomberg ETF analyst cited in reports, institutional demand for a possible XRP ETF may start modest while retail interest could be greater.

Other researchers in the community argue that institutions might be quietly building positions even if many retail investors remain unaware.

Both lines of argument can be true at once: pockets of strong recognition can exist while broad adoption lags behind.

Interesting, trades reporting how Polymarket odds of XRP ETF approval went down to 62% after the votes were disclosed showing Crenshaw voting no, but a) she’s gonna vote no on EVERYTHING and b) it’s meaningless, she’s outnumbered = we haven’t changed our odds, still at 95%. https://t.co/TamMn8DHVh pic.twitter.com/Ip9G748HrU

— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) August 7, 2025

Anecdotes Need Hard Data

What matters next is measurable breadth. Watchers say to track search trends, wallet activity, and consistent reports from many cities rather than isolated meetings.

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If mentions of XRP keep appearing across unrelated places, that would be stronger evidence. For now, though, the mix of big-signal stories and low-hit surveys means the claim of wide mainstream recognition is still unproven.

These first-hand accounts are compelling because they are simple and human. They make a tidy headline and spark debate online.

Reports so far say they are not yet a substitute for consistent, verifiable data. Some people are clearly talking about XRP in daily life. But the jury is still out on whether that talk has crossed into broad mainstream awareness.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

Most Japanese say they would buy more Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and altcoins if the government agrees to reform the nation’s strict crypto tax rules.

This was the main takeaway from a survey of 1,500 adults conducted in April and commissioned by the Japan Blockchain Association (JBA).

Japanese Crypto Tax Reforms Would Drive Volumes Up, Says JBA

In response to the question: “Do you own BTC or other cryptoassets?” 13% of respondents responded in the affirmative.

However, their response to the follow-up question was telling. The question was: “Would you buy crypto/more crypto if the government were to set a flat 20% tax rate on crypto profits?”

To this, 84% of the 191 respondents who said they hold crypto answered “yes.”

And 12% of the 1,309 non-crypto holders also agreed that they would start buying coins if Tokyo green-lights tax reforms.

Capital Gains Tax Request

The JBA suggested that the survey shows that tax reforms would have a very noticeable effect on the trading volumes of domestic exchanges.

At present, Japanese investors must declare their crypto-related profits on income tax returns, in the “other income” category.

That means that depending on their tax brackets, crypto investors may have to pay taxes of up to 55% on their profits.

In many other nations, crypto is instead subject to capital gains tax. That means that, after a certain threshold, traders are taxed at a flat rate of (typically) 10-20%.

Reform advocates want Tokyo to approve a plan to scrap crypto income tax laws. In their place, they want a flat 20% capital gains levy.

The JBA supports this proposal, as do many key members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in addition to opposition lawmakers.

However, the regulatory Financial Services Agency (FSA) effectively has the final say on all Japanese crypto policy.

Thus far, all of the FSA recommendations to the Cabinet have been enshrined into law.

The association said: “Cryptoassets are changing from a means of payment for the public to a means of asset accumulation.”

This is in line with the FSA’s own plans to reclassify crypto as a payment tool to an investment vehicle.

The industry body says it is “stepping up its efforts” to convince Tokyo to approve tax reform starting next year.

The JBA is an industry group that comprises some of the nation’s biggest crypto exchanges and blockchain firms.

JBA Submits Petition

The association also announced on July 18 that it has submitted a petition to the FSA calling for it to approve tax reform for crypto profits.

The survey was conducted on April 24 and April 25 this year. Respondents were all Japanese residents aged 20 to 69. Respondents were 60% male and 40% female, with an average age of 38.

The JBA also asked further questions. And 75% of respondents said they would prefer tax bodies to withdraw their payable taxes at source, rather than make separate tax declarations.

The JBA has also asked Tokyo to let crypto traders choose how they want to pay taxes: at source when they sell coins, or after filing declarations.

The survey’s authors also asked the respondents who do not currently hold any coins why they have not invested yet.

To this, 8% of respondents said that they thought that tax levels were too high. But 61% said they thought they lacked sufficient understanding of crypto.

The Japanese media outlet CoinPost reported that the FSA is now “deliberating a proposal to transition cryptoassets to the framework of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.”

“If the transition is approved, cryptoassets will be officially classified as financial products,” the media outlet explained.

Most of the respondents said they work in the private sector. Students made up 5.3% of the respondent pool. And 213 unemployed individuals also submitted responses.

At the time of writing, ETH trading accounts for almost half of the trading volume on bitFlyer, one of the nation’s biggest crypto exchanges.

A second-quarter survey of 18 mainstream news outlets logged 1,116 Bitcoin (BTC) stories and measured sentiment at 31% positive, 41% neutral, and 28% negative, according to Bitcoin analysis firm Perception.

The data reveal a significant gap between finance-focused media that cover the market extensively and legacy publications that rarely address it.

Sparse coverage

Perception counted two Bitcoin articles in The Wall Street Journal, 11 in the Financial Times, and 11 in The New York Times. These totals trailed every finance-oriented title in the sample and even lagged mid-tier general outlets. 

Audiences that rely on these newspapers for market intelligence received almost no information on an asset that outperformed broad indexes again in the quarter. The report referred to this mismatch as an “editorial blind-spot risk” because institutional investors may base their portfolio decisions on incomplete information.

High-volume business channels drove the most constructive coverage. Forbes produced 194 Bitcoin stories with a positive-to-negative ratio of roughly 1.8:1. At the same time, CNBC published 141 items at 2.5:1; and Fortune filed 117 pieces that leaned modestly positive.

These outlets focused on adoption metrics, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), treasury allocations, and mining economics, presenting Bitcoin as a viable macro asset rather than a novelty.

Negative framing clustered elsewhere. The Independent ran 45 stories with a 2.3:1 negative tilt, while Fox News and Barron’s delivered smaller volumes but similar skepticism, focusing on crime, cybersecurity breaches, and price volatility. 

Perception grouped coverage into three narrative blocs: enthusiastic adoption (Forbes, CNBC), willful minimalism (WSJ, FT, NYT), and persistent skepticism led by traditional general interest outlets.

Information asymmetry

According to the report, the divergence matters because large-cap digital assets now trade with liquidity comparable to some G-10 currencies, and exchange-listed spot ETFs cleared record volumes during the quarter. 

Asset managers that monitor only the low-volume publications may miss regulatory developments, fund flow data, and corporate treasury moves that the high-volume cohort documents in near real-time.

The report concluded that the coverage split creates both risk and opportunity: risk for institutions that depend on undersupplied channels and opportunity for readers who follow the outlets that closely track market mechanics. 

With sentiment and story counts quantifiable every quarter, portfolio teams can benchmark media exposure against price action and adjust their information sources accordingly.

Author

Tim Alper

Author

Tim Alper

About Author

Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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June 29, 2025

More than half of South Koreans aged 20 to 59 have crypto trading experience, with one in four currently HODLing coins.

The same survey found that current crypto owners say that tokens like Bitcoin (BTC) make up at least 14% of the total value of their financial assets.

South Koreans: Crypto Trading on the Rise?

The newspaper Cheonji Ilbo reported that the survey of 1,000 people nationwide was conducted in April this year by the Hana Financial Group’s Research Institute.

The survey’s authors explained that 51% of the people they spoke to “had experience investing in crypto,” with 27% currently HODLing their coins.

In this latter group, investors said they were holding onto an average of around 13 million won ($9,547) worth of coins.

In the early stages of investment, the researchers found, traders tended to focus on Bitcoin.

However, they also found that as traders gained experience, they tended to buy more altcoins, with a focus on stablecoins.

Wallets on Multiple Exchanges

The data also appears to indicate that many South Korean traders are prepared to shop around to find better prices.

Over half of the respondents said they held crypto wallets on multiple domestic crypto exchanges. Seven out of 10 said they have traded on the market-leading trading platform Upbit.

The majority of crypto-trading survey participants (60%) said they began investing in crypto in earnest during the 2020 Bitcoin bull run.

Three-quarters of investors began investing with stakes worth less than 3 million won ($2,203). However, the value of their collective investments appears to have risen considerably.

Over four in 10 of the crypto investors said they currently have coins worth more than 10 million won ($7,344) in their wallets.

Majority of Traders Are Male Office Workers, Data Shows

Most crypto investors were aged 40-49, with 67% of male respondents and just 33% of women saying they had bought coins.

The majority of crypto investors (over half) said they were in white collar office jobs, with just 12% of physical laborers saying they had crypto holdings.

The data also indicated that crypto investing-South Koreans tend to take more risks in the financial markets.

The researchers noted that 38% of respondents showed signs of taking an “active” or “aggressive” approach to investment tendency. This, they said, was twice the overall average of 20%.

The research institute explained:

“Investors who have tried and experienced virtual asset investment even once had a higher aggressive investment tendency than investors who have no experience with crypto.”

Stablecoin Spike

The findings appear to correlate with recent reports of a large spike in USD-pegged stablecoin and kimchi coin trading.

Investment in coins like USDT has risen sharply in South Korea this year. And after the June 3 election of President Lee Jae-myung, speculative buying in stablecoin-related tokens has also seen an uptick.

Lee has pledged to launch a won-pegged stablecoin and allow domestic firms to create stablecoin-powered payment platforms.

Wealthy US investors say they are more likely to hire financial advisers who provide crypto guidance, according to a June 2025 CoinShares survey of 500 individuals with at least $500,000 in investable assets.

A vast majority (88%) of investors already work with an adviser, and 58% rank advisers as their most trusted source for digital asset information., ahead of market analysis tools, podcasts, and peer networks.

Among those not yet in crypto, 78% of sub-high-net-worth and 93% of high-net-worth respondents said they would consult an adviser before making a purchase.

The survey also shows that 82% of all respondents would be “more inclined” to retain an adviser who offers crypto guidance, while 49% would actively seek one with demonstrable expertise.

What investors want

Respondents cite two primary roles for advisers: securing compliant investment vehicles such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or trusts and designing portfolio allocation and risk management strategies, each selected by 54% of participants.

Other valued services include custody recommendations (46%), tax and regulatory support (49%), and education on blockchain fundamentals (47%).

When asked about red flags, 29% point to advisers who lack personal crypto experience, and another 29% point to product recommendations delivered without a clear explanation of risks.

Personas shape advice demand

CoinShares segment investors into three groups: “crypto-curious” (21%), “cautiously confident” (38%), and “committed” (37%).

The crypto-curious lean on advisers for basic education and prefer passive products. At the same time, the cautiously confident seek familiar structures such as ETFs and stablecoins.

The committed want advanced strategies covering decentralized finance (DeFi), staking, and tax optimization.

Across all personas, 65% say they have delayed an allocation because reliable information was lacking, and only 6% feel fully informed about digital-asset investing.

Adviser’s outlook

The report highlighted that 91% of advisers surveyed in late 2024 remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s mainstream adoption, and 42% warn that late adopters will face higher risks.

These views mirror client sentiment, as 90% of current crypto holders plan to increase exposure in 2025, while 75% of non-holders either want to learn more or intend to invest soon.

The findings position digital asset competence as a decisive factor in adviser selection among affluent investors and outline specific service areas, such as compliant products, portfolio design, custody, and tax guidance, that drive that preference.

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