Perceptions towards cryptocurrency adoption: A case of Saudi Arabian citizens

Abstract

The global financial market is influenced by relatively new technologies such as cryptocurrencies; namely Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and others. Cryptocurrencies are a challenging area in finance that requires additional attention from the academic community as they can have a potentially large impact on society and the economy. This study aims to investigate the usability of digital money among the citizens of Saudi Arabia. Various factors that are related to user behavior and have an impact on user intent towards cryptocurrencies based on a combined approach are analyzed. The basis from which the authors started is The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), together with four other constructions: perceived risk (consisting of privacy risk, financial risk, and security risk), perception of enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and personal innovation. The method used to collect the data is a questionnaire. The results showed that variables such as subjective norms, security risk, perception of utility, and enjoyment influence the adoption and use of cryptocurrencies. These variables include the perception of pleasure as well as the perception of utility.