The 2050 Generation Virtual Asset Investment Trends Report published by the HANA Financial Research Institute revealed that virtual asset investment in Korea has become a serious financial asset, not a speculative tool.
According to the report, 27% of individuals aged 20 to 50 invest in cryptocurrencies, and these investments account for an average of 14% of total financial assets.
This study is based on a survey conducted by 1,000 people. Cryptocurrency is at the highest level, 31% among individuals in their 40s. 70% of investors say they are planning to increase crypto investments in the future.
Another notable data from the report is that over half of investors in their 50s hold crypto in preparation for retirement. 78% of this age group said they invested in virtual assets with the aim of creating large savings, while 53% said they invested directly in older age preparations.
While 79% of investors use crypto to “grow money,” only 24% say they invest in “fashion and entertainment,” while 22% invest in “costs of daily living.” This suggests that Crypto is currently considered a serious portfolio asset.
The behavior towards crypto investments is also mature. The proportion of regular investors increased from 10% to 34%, while the proportion of medium-term investors increased from 26% to 47%. The share of short-term investors fell from 48% to 45%.
90% of investors say they only hold coins, but interest in new generation digital assets such as NFTs and security tokens remained low. 60% of investors who hold two different coins on average have Bitcoin in their portfolios. Initially, investment strategies focused on Bitcoin have expanded over time thanks to the diversity of Altcoin and Stablecoin.
The biggest complaint from investors was the inability to establish a relationship between the exchange and existing bank accounts. In the current system, only a single bank account can be assigned to an exchange. 70% of participants said they prefer the main bank if this restriction was lifted.
Market volatility (56%), stock market risk (61%), and fraud concerns (61%) still have a major impact on investment decisions. However, investors view the more active role of traditional financial institutions (42%) and increased regulations (35%) as positive steps.
*This is not investment advice.