Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34152998›Full record

ReviewJournal of behavioral addictions2021

The psychology of cryptocurrency trading: Risk and protective factors.

Paul Delfabbro, Daniel L King, Jennifer Williams

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of behavioral addictions, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
16.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 152 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Cryptocurrency in sport: a thematic review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Relationship between Cryptocurrency Trading, Hopelessness, and Financial Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Physicians.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. The Gamblification of Investing: How a New Generation of Investors Is Being Born to Lose.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Paul Delfabbro1School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0466-5611
Daniel L King2College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia.
Jennifer Williams3Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Flinders University · AUThe University of Adelaide · AUUniversity of Lethbridge · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsCrypto-currency trading is a rapidly growing form of behaviour characterised by investing in highly volatile digital assets based largely on blockchain technology. In this paper, we review the particular structural characteristics of this activity and its potential to give rise to excessive or harmful behaviour including over-spending and compulsive checking. We note that there are some similarities between online sports betting and day trading, but also several important differences. These include the continuous 24-hour availability of trading, the global nature of the market, and the strong role of social media, social influence and non-balance sheet related events as determinants of price movements.

methodsWe review the specific psychological mechanisms that we propose to be particular risk factors for excessive crypto trading, including: over-estimations of the role of knowledge or skill, the fear of missing out (FOMO), preoccupation, and anticipated regret. The paper examines potential protective and educational strategies that might be used to prevent harm to inexperienced investors when this new activity expands to attract a greater percentage of retail or community investors. DISCUSSION AND

conclusionsThe paper suggests the need for more specific research into the psychological effects of regular trading, individual differences and the nature of decision-making that protects people from harm, while allowing them to benefit from developments in blockchain technology and crypto-currency.

Indexed as

GamblingSportsHumansProtective Factorscrypto-currencyharmprotective factorsrisk factorstrading

Identifiers

PMID34152998
PMCPMC8996802
OpenAlexW3175130791

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.