FINRA: Fewer US Investors Eye Crypto as Risk Appetite Falls
U.S. investors are less inclined to consider buying cryptocurrencies as overall risk-taking declines, according to new findings from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The share of Americans invested in crypto was unchanged at 27% between 2021 and 2024, but the portion contemplating either increasing their holdings or buying for the first time fell to 26% in 2024 from 33% in 2021, FINRA reported on Thursday.
FINRA said the percentage of investors indicating “high levels of investment risk” decreased by four percentage points to 8% from 2021 to 2024. The largest decline was among those under age 35, down nine points to 15%.
The regulator’s research also found perceptions of crypto risk have risen. In 2024, 66% of respondents categorized crypto as a risky asset, up from 58% in 2021. At the same time, one-third of investors said they believe taking substantial risks is necessary to meet financial goals, a view shared by 50% of respondents aged 35 and under.
Approximately 13% of investors— including nearly one-third of those under 25— reported purchasing meme stocks or other viral investments.
The pace of market entry has cooled compared with 2021. Only 8% of investors said they entered the markets in the two years leading up to 2024, down from 21% in 2021. “The surge of younger investors who entered the market early in the pandemic, as reported in the 2021 NFCS, reversed direction as the pandemic ended, bringing the share of U.S. adults under 35 who invest back down to the 2018 level,” FINRA noted.
Overall, the results point to a “modest trend toward more cautious attitudes and behaviors” relative to the 2021 survey, according to FINRA.
The 2024 study was conducted between July and December 2024 and included 2,861 U.S. investors and a state-by-state online survey of 25,539 adults, FINRA said.
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