BTC study: Investors are said to be psychopaths

2 min read

The study was first picked up by the British tabloid The Sun. However, the post only really went viral after it was published in the old venerable New York Post has been published.

The team of experts from Queensland University of Technology wanted to examine the personality traits of crypto fans first. According to the experts, the average BTC investor is a “calculating psychopath with an inflated ego.” In addition, signs of narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism were discovered. BTC fans are also characterized by an “inflated sense of self-importance” and a lack of empathy. The characteristics mentioned correlate strongly with risk-taking behavior.

The crypto study in detail

Opposite to The Conversation emphasizes the lead author of the study, Dr. Di Wang said the traits are primarily due to “because they distrust politicians and government agencies.” To which the academic adds: “Many crypto advocates believe that governments are corrupt, and crypto shuns government corruption.”

The said sadism is also closely linked to the thrill that an investment in BTC brings with it. For this it says:

For Bitcoin-Fans perhaps both the pleasure of seeing another’s pain and the fear of missing out are associated with selfishness.

dr Di Wang, source: The Conversation

However, it only gets bizarre at the end of the article, which raises serious doubts about the validity of the study. The director of studies states:

We only studied a subset of people who are interested in cryptocurrencies and have these traits. (…) If you own BTC or other cryptocurrencies, you may or may not have these properties.

dr Di Wang, source: NY Post

BTC study: Investors are said to be psychopaths