Paribu has published the seventh edition of its Cryptocurrency Awareness and Perception Survey, conducted in collaboration with FutureBright Group to measure awareness and perceptions of crypto assets in Türkiye and understand people's expectations and motivations.
Editor's note: This press release has been translated and localized into English with the assistance of AI.
ISTANBUL — Paribu has published the seventh edition of its Cryptocurrency Awareness and Perception Survey, which it has conducted annually in Türkiye since 2020 to measure awareness and perceptions of crypto assets and understand people's expectations and motivations. Conducted in collaboration with FutureBright Group, the 2026 survey used an online questionnaire for the first time, unlike previous years. The research was carried out between July and August 2026 with 1,999 participants aged 18–55 across 12 regions representing Türkiye.
The proportion of people who have traded cryptocurrencies, measured at 1% when the survey was first conducted in 2020, continued to rise this year. The figure increased from 25% in 2023 and 31% in 2025 to 37% in 2026. The survey showed that the proportion of people who had never traded cryptocurrencies declined from 69% to 63%. Among those who had traded, seven out of ten (71%) found cryptocurrency transactions easy, with this figure reaching 94% among daily traders.
The research revealed a relationship between growing adoption and trust in cryptocurrencies. The proportion of all respondents who considered cryptocurrencies a reliable investment instrument increased from 42% to 46%, reaching 76% among those who had traded and 91% among daily traders. Meanwhile, the proportion of non-traders who cited a lack of trust as a barrier declined from 47% to 42%.
This year's survey results also provided insights into trends in portfolio diversification and rebalancing. According to the research, only one in ten cryptocurrency investors (10%) held exclusively crypto assets in their portfolios. Cryptocurrency investors used an average of 2.7 investment instruments, compared with 1.5 among investors who did not trade cryptocurrencies. Among cryptocurrency investors, 57% included gold in their portfolios, 32% held foreign currencies, and 27% invested in stocks and investment funds.
Meanwhile, 56% of cryptocurrency investors reported transferring some of their crypto investments into other asset classes over the past year. Gold was the most preferred destination at 26%, followed by stocks and equities at 19% and Turkish lira deposits at 9%. Nearly half (47%) of respondents who transferred funds from cryptocurrencies to other financial instruments cited the market's downward trend, uncertainty, and volatility as their reasons. Approximately two in five of those who made such transfers said they moved into other assets to realize profits. Another notable finding was that three out of five cryptocurrency traders (60%) had chosen crypto as their first investment preference over the past year, indicating that cryptocurrencies have become a permanent component of investment portfolios.
In the Cryptocurrency Awareness and Perception Survey, nearly all respondents (99.5%) said they were familiar with Bitcoin. The proportion of participants who first associated the term cryptocurrency with Bitcoin increased from 25% to 30%. As a result, Bitcoin surpassed the description “virtual/digital currency” for the first time. The report showed that seven out of ten cryptocurrency traders had traded Bitcoin, while 59% of Bitcoin traders held BTC for investment purposes. The proportion of users holding cryptocurrencies for investment purposes was 48% for Ethereum, 33% for Dogecoin, and 28% for Shiba Inu. In other words, holding crypto assets as an investment was most strongly associated with Bitcoin.
The survey also revealed that cryptocurrency investors were expanding their portfolios to include more altcoins. Among those who traded cryptocurrencies, 32% reported trading three or more crypto assets. Ethereum awareness was measured at 71% among all respondents and 82% among cryptocurrency traders. Over the past year, the proportion of traders who had traded Solana increased from 11% to 18%, Shiba Inu from 11% to 16%, and USDC from 6% to 13%. Awareness of stablecoins also increased, with recognition of USDT rising from 26% to 31% and USDC from 23% to 26%.
The survey also provided insights into participants' preferences regarding cryptocurrency trading platforms. The proportion of respondents who considered it important whether a platform was domestic or international increased from 40% to 50%, reaching 69% among cryptocurrency traders. Notably, three out of four respondents (75%) who considered this distinction important preferred domestic platforms, while 85% of cryptocurrency traders who valued the domestic/international distinction chose domestic platforms. Expectations regarding transaction speed and ease of use, measured at 44% last year, increased to 57% this year. Speed and ease of use ranked first among expectations from trading platforms, followed by low commission fees at 54% and strong security systems at 53%.
The survey found that cryptocurrency trading platforms and social media channels were equally used as sources of information about cryptocurrencies, each accounting for 53%. Among respondents who used social media, three out of four (76%) preferred Instagram, while 54% reported using X.
The Cryptocurrency Awareness and Perception Survey showed that one in three respondents used artificial intelligence when researching cryptocurrencies. The findings also indicated that AI was moving beyond research and becoming part of investment decision-making. More than half of cryptocurrency traders (53%) reported frequently or always using AI when making investment decisions, with this figure reaching 87% among daily traders. Furthermore, 37% of all respondents and 43% of cryptocurrency traders said they would be willing to allow an AI assistant to manage their cryptocurrency portfolios.
The full survey and previous editions are available at:
https://www.paribu.com/kripto-para-bilinirlik-ve-algi-arastirmasi
