"Digital Assets in Germany 2024" study: trust in cryptocurrencies is back

• Half of respondents invest more than 20 per cent of their total assets in digital assets (54 per cent)
  
• Investors allocate more than a quarter of their total assets to digital assets on average
  
• One in three investors consider their own investment in digital assets to be rather secure (34 per cent)
  
• Bitcoin (91 per cent) and Ethereum (78 per cent) are particularly popular among investors

After a difficult period for the crypto market last year, investor optimism and confidence in digital assets has returned - albeit with some reservations. This is shown by the results of a joint survey conducted by KPMG in Germany and BTC-ECHO, the largest German-language medium for digital assets. Around 2,400 private crypto investors from the DACH region were asked about their investment behaviour for the study.

Interest in cryptocurrency is high. Around half (54 per cent) of all investors surveyed have invested more than 20 per cent of their total assets in digital assets. 67 per cent of investors who spend more than 50 per cent of their total assets on digital investments are invested for the medium (3-5 years) to long term (over 5 years). However, market entrants are becoming more cautious. They are scrutinising their investment opportunities longer and more carefully. As a result, providers have to put more effort into transferring an interested party to a customer. As in the previous year, there is a high discrepancy between registration on a crypto exchange and actual use (-86 per cent). When choosing their preferred crypto exchanges, security (82 per cent), deposit and withdrawal options (65 per cent) and transaction costs (62 per cent) are among the most important criteria for investors. 

According to the study, 34 per cent (previous year: up 11 per cent) of investors consider their investment in digital assets to be "rather safe", 43 per cent say "rather risky", 18 per cent "risky" and five per cent "very risky". According to the survey, investors consider market manipulation, regulation and financial crime to be the greatest risks. Bitcoin, the oldest cryptocurrency, increased its dominance in the portfolios of the surveyed investors by seven per cent compared to the previous year and is in first place with 91 per cent. Ethereum follows in second place (78 per cent). Solana recorded an increase of 9 per cent compared to the previous year, putting it in fourth place among the most popular digital assets. 

Alessia Gerkens

Corporate Communications
KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

T +49 89 9282 4797
agerkens@kpmg.com