Overbit survey of 2,500+ crypto traders reveals key influences and patterns that

Overbit.com, a leading Bitcoin derivatives trading platform, has conducted one of the most revealing surveys yet into crypto traders and the factors that influence their trading decisions. From a sample of more than 2,500 crypto traders from 90 countries, the leveraged trading platform was able to draw some interesting conclusions.

Overbit allows its users to trade cryptos, forex, and commodities using bitcoin without taking delivery of the assets. The company wanted to understand traders’ behavioral patterns and the motivational factors behind their trading-related decisions. To that end, from March 17 to March 31, 2020, it conducted a two-week online survey.

Trader background and preferences

The survey looked at three main categories including trader background, preferences, and behavioral patterns. When it comes to background, Overbit found that most traders fall within the age group of 35 to 44. 73% of traders have at least one year’s experience of trading in cryptos.

CEO and founder of Overbit Chieh Liu commented, “We found that higher education is not a prerequisite for success. Some 57% of novice traders have obtained their high school education only. This means that trading is still anyone’s game.”

Overbit also looked at several trader preferences including the key criteria for choosing an exchange, how many exchanges traders typically use, what devices they prefer to trade on, and the type of assets they trade.

The survey revealed that traders typically use an average of three exchanges for their trading needs. Security, deposit/withdraw speed, and server connection are among the top criteria when choosing an exchange.

“These criteria were very clear across all types of traders when it comes to choosing an exchange,” Liu said. “However, with pro-traders, whether an exchange is regulated or not is also high on the list, most likely as they are trading in large amounts either for themselves or on behalf of clients.”

While many novice and mid-tier traders favored mobile apps when trading, the desktops still reigned supreme as the first choice of device, likely due to the sophisticated trading tools and bots that can only run on big screens.

53% of crypto traders only engage in spot trading, while 47% also trade in crypto derivatives including futures, options, swaps, forwards, and contract for difference (CFD).

Trader behavioral patterns 

The last section of the survey attempted to gauge when traders are most active and the assets they prefer to trade. Overbit found that novice and pro traders trade the least, while mid-tier and advanced are the most active.

Liu stated, “Our hypothesis was that pro-traders should be more active during the day, however, the data revealed the opposite. This could suggest that they prefer quality trades over quantity. We also found that, while there was an overwhelming preference for bitcoin across all groups at 83%, advanced and professional traders…