New BlockFi Survey Finds Despite Crypto Winter, Women Are Still HODLing

BlockFi, a global crypto financial services company, today released its newest edition of the Real Talk survey, a research series focused on understanding changing consumer sentiment towards crypto, investing and other related topics. The latest Real Talk survey, Women x Crypto, asked female Americans about their current motivations, behaviors and dispositions around crypto investing and financial wellness. The survey tracks changing attitudes since the first and second Women x Crypto surveys, released in September 2021 and March 2022 respectively.

BlockFi’s latest survey found that one in 10 women chose crypto as their first investment, with 17% of Millennial women and 11% of Gen Z women saying crypto was their first investment. Crypto has even inspired new Gen-Xers to invest, with 7% making it their first investment, despite having more time to enter other asset classes than their Gen-Z and millennial counterparts. Overall, one in three (33%) women surveyed cite investing in a retirement vehicle as their first point of entry into the markets, while one in four (25%) of respondents said they have yet to invest.

“The latest edition of BlockFi’s Women x Crypto survey data reveals that many women are looking to the crypto markets to make their first investment. And while the younger, digitally-native generations are more likely to adopt crypto, Gen X and Baby Boomers are also open to participating. It’s exciting to see crypto adoption across generations. I'm hopeful that women who have yet to make an investment consider making that first step towards entering the market,” said Flori Marquez, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of BlockFi. 

BlockFi’s research also found that one in four women said they are not confident in their wealth-building investment strategy, while nearly half (45%) feel financially secure. Moreover, one in three women reported they often talk about finances in their social circles, with Gen Z and Millennials signaling larger comfortability than their Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts. And while the vast majority of women report having heard of crypto before, nearly 81% of women still report crypto to be confusing and 77% view crypto as a risky investment. 

“Having a sense of financial confidence and security is paramount. Our research shows there’s a significant disparity between women who feel secure and confident in their investments and those who do not. We must come together to close this gap - especially in the crypto ecosystem,” added Ms. Marquez. “Knowledge drives empowerment and confidence. I would encourage those women who feel financially secure and confident in their investing strategies, especially in the crypto community, to reach out to those in their social circles who may not feel the same and see how you can help them build their financial confidence.” 

Despite a broad market downturn, the survey’s longitudinal results indicate that female investors' interest in crypto has not significantly decreased. More than one in five women (22%) still intend to buy crypto in the next 12 months, down slightly from 28% the year prior. When asked, one in five women believe crypto to  be a good hedge against inflation. Even more, 20% of Gen Z women noted Bitcoin as the best long-term investment when presented with a list of options including individual stocks and real estate. This was twice as many women as Gen X.

BlockFi’s research also indicates that the majority of female crypto investors have adopted a buy and hold investment strategy, suggesting a strong long-term outlook for the asset class. When asked specifically what best describes their crypto investment style, the majority of female crypto owners (69%) said they hold crypto and remain hold-only. Additionally, 21% of women report they feel welcome in the crypto community. The majority, however, are unsure (52%), indicating a lack of knowledge around the community rather than it being seen as unwelcoming.

Ms. Marquez concluded, “The crypto landscape and the number of players look completely different than it did six months ago when we last issued this survey and yet the faith in the crypto markets and its potential as a long-term investment strategy remains. This resiliency is extremely promising. As many have noted, the best building happens during bear markets. It’s imperative that we utilize this time to build products and communities that are inclusive to all investors. At the end of the day, BlockFi’s vision is to accelerate global prosperity and is committed to ensuring all feel welcomed regardless of where they are in their crypto journey.” 

The survey, the third in a series evaluating womens' investment patterns, was conducted through a third-party survey panel on September 20, 2022. 1,075 female-identifying Americans between the ages of 18 and 65 were surveyed.

BlockFi Real Talk is a quarterly survey series focused on understanding changing consumer sentiment towards crypto, investing and other related topics. Our goal is for the data to spark candid, "real talk" conversations about crypto, the current state of the industry, and where it's headed in terms of mainstream adoption. Read our other Real Talk surveys: Women x Crypto, Women x Crypto 2.0 and Happy HODLdays.

BlockFi is a new breed of financial services company. Founded in 2017 by Zac Prince and Flori Marquez, BlockFi is building a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial and wealth management products to advance the overall digital asset ecosystem for individual and institutional investors.