Cryptoverse: The young HODLers keeping bitcoin on an even keel

moneycontrol.com:

Bitcoin's been known to freak out when Elon Musk tweets a broken-heart emoji. So why isn't it flying off the handle as we seem to stand on the precipice of World War 3?

That could be down to the new HODLers, in part.

Young retail investors betting on bitcoin as a long-term proposition rather than for quick gains are swelling the ranks of these true believers, whose name emerged years ago from a trader misspelling "hold" on an online forum.

This trend could help stabilise the notoriously volatile crypto market and potentially provide a long-term floor, according to some market watchers who point to the fact bitcoin is up about 5 percent versus before the Russian invasion.

A study by multi-asset retail investment platform eToro, which says it has millions of users, found that those aged 18 to 34 were far more likely to invest in crypto than anyone else, with 66 percent of that age bracket owning bitcoin and other digital currencies. That's up from 46 percent last July.

Perhaps more tellingly, more than a third of those invested in crypto said they believed in its long-term value as "a transformative asset class".

Callie Cox, eToro US investment analyst, described these people as "HODLers in a nutshell".

"People who believe in the technology, they're going to be less likely to sell when scary headlines cross the tape," she said, adding that she expected to see more retail investors buying future dips in crypto prices.

While the eToro poll of 8,000 investors only provides a snapshot, the findings chime with other platforms. Crypto exchange Currency.com says 31 percent of its clients are aged between 23 and 30 years, and 20 percent between 18 and 20, for example, while another exchange Busha says its average trader is aged between 18