Finding gender equality in the crypto sector has always been a challenge, whether amongst the workforce or investors. Financial and technology sectors, two traditionally male-dominated industries, are the big feeder systems into the crypto employee and investor pools, and so by default, there isn’t much gender equality to begin with. The selection process for crypto and blockchain naturally filters a gender imbalance that heavily skews towards males. According to a 2019 report about diversity in blockchain, women in crypto — which included developers, investors, and casually interested individuals — accounted for no more than 6% of the industry.
Though we haven’t seen a full gender revolution in the digital assets industry, times have definitely changed. With the help of financial and crypto literacy educational guides geared towards gender equality, and efforts to include and fund more women-led projects in the blockchain and web3 industries, women have become a much bigger percentage of the overall crypto industry. One of the areas that represents this growth is in the retail investor population, particularly surrounding the use of crypto ATMs. Technological innovation around transaction platforms have made buying crypto much easier.
According to a recent Coinstar-sponsored survey, women represent nearly 40% of all cryptocurrency ATM users. Furthermore, compared to men, women are more likely to say that “buying cryptocurrency at an ATM feels familiar and comfortable to me.” Crypto ATMs have brought an ease and familiarity to engaging with digital assets, and this has surely helped women become a bigger portion of the crypto community. The convenience and simplicity of crypto ATMs are the top reasons females use it as a form of transacting with digital assets.
But perhaps the biggest indicator that women are feeling more comfortable with buying and investing in crypto is that, when compared with men, they are more likely to say they intend to hold crypto as a long-term investment. The statement of HODLing shows a feeling of confidence and trust in crypto.
Though there is still a gap in gender inequality in the crypto industry, crypto ATMs are trying to remove that gap by bringing financial equality to all.
