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Poll shows Russians staying informed on crypto

Two thirds of respondents claim they have a general knowledge of the topic

MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Almost nine out of ten Russians (87%) have heard about cryptocurrency, and one out of five say they are well-versed as to what cryptocurrency is, while 66% claim they have a general knowledge of the topic, a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) reveals.

Also, according to the survey, the results of which were available to TASS, 42% of respondents said that they are familiar with the Hamster Kombat chatbot in the Telegram messenger, which gives you the opportunity to earn cryptocurrency by participating in the game.

"In total, four out of ten (42%) of our fellow citizens know or have heard something about the ‘hamster,’ including 14% who are very familiar with it," the study results note.

Younger generations (86% of zoomers, 72% of younger millennials) were more likely to know about the chatbot. In addition, those who follow the crypto market (67%), daily Telegram users (62%), residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as cities with a population of over a million (53% and 50% respectively), and active Internet users (62%) said they had heard about Hamster Kombat.

The majority (58%) of those aware of the Hamster Kombat chatbot do not use it themselves and do not know of anyone around them using it.

Only 8% noted that they are trying to earn cryptocurrency using the "hamster" (in terms of all respondents this is 3%). Another 9% in the group who knew about the chatbot noted that their relatives are trying to make money with the help of Hamster Kombat, and every third (32%) heard that their friends use the "hamster."

As for the possibility of turning "game" money into real money, the respondents were skeptical, as the majority (67%) do not believe there is any money to be made here. However, a chunk of Russians (16%) were more optimistic.

As for those who tend to believe in the possibility of earning cryptocurrency in exchange for simple actions these are mainly men (22% versus 11% of women), young people (28-29% of zoomers and younger millennials), and daily Telegram users (20%)

The all-Russian telephone survey VCIOM-Sputnik was conducted on July 6, 2024 among 1,600 Russians over the age of 18 took part in it. The maximum margin of error, with a probability of 95%, doesn’t exceed 2.5%.

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