Survey finds 20% of Russians engaged with crypto

About 20 percent of Russians use cryptocurrency, while 66 percent are aware of it but do not have detailed information, according to a new survey.

Almost a fifth of Russians use cryptocurrencies, with more than 65 percent aware of them but lacking detailed information, Russia’s state-run TASS news agency reported on Monday (September 30), citing data from a survey conducted by a local financial market. .

The survey of 1,200 respondents aged 18 and over across Russia reveals gradual adoption of crypto among Russian consumers, with more than 20% reporting some experience with crypto. The survey found that almost 80% of respondents have never used cryptocurrency, but 15% expressed interest in adopting digital assets in the future. 63% of those who tried cryptocurrency stated that they did so out of curiosity, and 19% stated that they used it for savings or investment purposes. Only 2% reported using crypto regularly.

Despite growing awareness, the majority of respondents (around 90%) do not currently own any cryptocurrency. Of the minority that did, 6% reported keeping less than 10% of their savings in crypto, while only 4% reported having up to half of their assets in digital form.

Russia’s evolving relationship with crypto comes as the government explores the use of digital assets for foreign trade, particularly in industries with potential military applications.

As crypto.news reported in mid-September, Russia convened a focus group to address challenges faced by importers dealing with dual-use goods that have both civilian and military applications and are subject to strict international payment restrictions. The move comes shortly after China announced in early August that it would ban the export of all unregulated civilian drones, which have been increasingly used in military warfare in recent years, starting September 1.