82% of HNW (high-net-worth) clients have looked at investing in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin in 2022, according to a survey carried out by deVere.

The poll’s findings show eight out of 10 of the organisation’s HNW clients with between £1m and £5m of investable assets sought advice on cryptocurrencies over the past year.

CEO and founder of deVere Group Nigel Green said of the survey results: “In 2022, the crypto market delivered its worst performance since 2018, with Bitcoin, the headline-grabbing market leader, falling about 75% during the year.

“The price drops came as investors reduced their exposure to risk-on assets, including stocks and crypto, due to heightened concerns about inflation and slower economic growth.”

He added: “Yet against this backdrop of the so-called ‘crypto winter’, HNWs were consistently seeking advice from their financial advisers about including digital currencies into their portfolios.”

A previous study carried out by deVere in 2020 revealed 73% of 700 HNW clients polled already owned or were looking to invest in crypto before the end of 2022, Cointelegraph reports. Back in 2019, a similar poll showed 68% of HNW individuals across the globe were already invested or planning to invest in digital currencies by the end of last year.

The deVere CEO believes this momentum of interest could increase further: “Bitcoin is on track for its best January since 2013 based on hopes that inflation has peaked, monetary policies become more favourable, and the various crypto-sector crises, including high-profile bankruptcies, are now in the rear-view mirror.

“The world’s largest cryptocurrency is up over 40% since the turn of the year, and this will not go unnoticed by HNW clients and others who want to build wealth for the future,” he added. 

In addition, according to a report by JPMorgan Chase in mid-December, some 13% of the U.S. population have held crypto at some point, a rise from around just 3% in 2020.