What Percentage of Women are Into Crypto?
According to recent data from investment platform
eToro, only 15% of bitcoin traders are women, indicating a major gender gap in
the cryptocurrency market.
While the percentage of female investors grew somewhat
from 10% at the start of 2020, signaling a demographic shift amid a rise in
bitcoin prices, the figure remained dismal.
In 2020, the price of Bitcoin surged, attracting a
flood of new investors to various trading platforms. However, fresh evidence
shows that men are still the ones who are most interested in cryptocurrency.
The asset increased to about $30,000 by the end of the year, maintaining its
upward trend that began in early January when it reached an all-time high of
$41,826.
The scenario is similar to Ethereum, where female
investors increased marginally from 11 percent at the start of 2020 to 12 percent.
"Technology is enabling more women to
invest," said Heloise Greef, an Oxford University researcher who has been
using eToro since 2016. "Investing has traditionally been the domain of
the wealthy, but now because of the pandemic most of it has shifted online so, anyone
with a thematic interest may participate."
eToro started in December when women were joining its
platform at a quicker pace than men. In comparison to the 248 percent increase
in male users, the platform claimed a 366 percent increase in female sign-ups.
Overall, according to eToro data, the number of
persons holding bitcoin on the trading platform increased by 106 percent in
January 2021 compared to the same period last year. eToro's Ethereum investors
increased by 82 percent year over year.
eToro, along with Robinhood and Coinbase, is one of the
most well-known sites for investing in cryptocurrencies, with over 18 million
registered users since its founding in 2007. During a Reddit-fueled trading
mania in select stock darlings from GameStop to AMC Entertainment last year,
app-based and commission-free trading platforms grew in popularity.
On Friday, Bitcoin hit a new high of $38,346.61, as
the world's most popular cryptocurrency encountered another roadblock on its
way back to record highs.