Investing In The Future: A Holistic Examination Of Personal And Behavioral Influences On Cryptocurrency Investment, With A Focus On Social Influence And Crypto Expert Guidance

Abstract

The research aimed to investigate the influence of personal and behavioral factors on cryptocurrency investment, with the introduction of social influence and crypto expert recommendations as moderators to augment the impact of these factors. Utilizing the snowball sampling technique, a survey was conducted with a sample of 349 cryptocurrency investors in Pakistan. The study employed Smart PLS 3.3M3 for moderated mediation analysis of the survey data. Results indicate that personal and behavioral factors significantly and positively impact cryptocurrency investment. Profit expectation serves as a positive mediator in the relationship between personal and behavioral factors and cryptocurrency investment. Additionally, social influence and crypto expert recommendations positively moderate the relationship between personal and behavioral factors and the perception of cryptocurrency investment. This study contributes to the existing literature by empirically validating the roles of personal and behavioral factors, social influence, and expert recommendations in shaping perceptions of investment in the unregulated cryptocurrency industry, particularly in the context of developing countries.