According to a survey released on Feb 15 by the German Federal Institute of Information Technology, TeleCommunication and the New Media Association (Bitkom), Germans, who have known bitcoin, make up to about 64%. This number is actually higher than many other countries in the world. For instance, 56% of the population in Russia is acquainted with bitcoin of the total. According to Xue Biqun ("Xue Man"), a former Chinese-American investor, there are still about 80% of citizens in China who have never heard of digital currency.
In fact, it is only in recent years that the Germans have gradually increased their awareness of digital currency. In 2013, only about 9% of Germans knew bitcoin, but by 2016 that figure had risen to 36%, and now the bitcoin awareness ratio has risen to 64%.
In addition, 4% of the 1009 people surveyed by the German Federal Institute for Information, TeleCommunication and New Media (CIT), have candidly held bitcoin, while 19% said that they are interested in buying digital currencies but have no interest in bitcoin. A total of 72% of Germans are not interested in having bitcoin because of the high volatility of bitcoin prices, and also many Germans think it is difficult to control the digital currency risk.
However, Bernhard Rohleder, chief executive of the German Federal Institute for Information, Telecommunications and New Media, believes that digital currency and blockchain technology remain economically significant. He was quoted saying, “Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are a good example of how the digital age is able to change the financial world. This is not so much about the individual currency itself as it is about the underlying blockchain technology. It will have an impact on the whole economy.”