A significant increase in the cash value of Bitcoin in the beginning of 2017 led to growth in people’s interest in cryptocurrency. The uniqueness of this type of money is that the transaction occurs only with the approval of a network of participants, and the funds themselves are beyond the control of any state. At the same time, the Russian government, represented by the Ministry of Finance, did not approve a cryptocurrency until 2018. Despite the large number of studies that reveal the main advantages and disadvantages of cryptocurrency, as well as the motivation of the participants, the issue of building trust in cryptocurrencies remains relevant. The main goal of this study is to identify the mechanisms of trust building among the participants of the cryptocurrency market.
The research information base was based on 15 semi-structured interviews with active participants of the cryptocurrency market. Based on collected data, a typology of cryptocurrency users was made, and ways of managing risks in interacting with the market and insight into the role of the state in this market were examined. Cryptocurrency users can be divided into those who use it for consumption of various goods (including those who are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation) and those who seek to derive financial benefit from the current market situation. Although both groups exist in the same market, they have different expectations: consumers strive to ensure that the cryptocurrency exchange rate remains stable, whereas the other group hopes for a long period of high exchange-rate volatility to increase their own earnings. The position that the local state should take is an important factor of trust for each of the groups represented.
Cryptocurrencies are still at an early stage of development. A large group of people on the market is trying to monetize the weaknesses that exist at the moment. Over time, the situation on the cryptocurrency market stabilizes, and it can then move to a qualitatively different stage of development.