Only one-fifth of all cryptocurrency owners are aware of the risks of their investments. The vast majority do not see significant threats to themselves when investing in digital assets. These are the results of a recent survey shared by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

The agency's research showed that investors have high hopes for cryptocurrencies. This asset was the second most popular among all investment products - 44% of respondents confirmed their ownership. Moreover, one in four of this share of respondents admitted to investing exclusively in cryptocurrencies.

According to ASIC CEO Joe Longo, the survey revealed a high demand for digital assets, but also highlighted the problem of a lack of understanding of all the risks of owning them. For example, only 20 percent of cryptocurrency investors understand that their investment approach can fail and lead to losses.

Longo believes that the crypto industry does not provide investors with sufficient protection against loss of funds, while at the same time they themselves cannot fully assess their precarious position. For this reason, it is necessary to start stricter regulation of the industry, he believes.