
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-with-our-first-ever-middle-eastern-event-wrapped-up-check-out-some-of-gcb-s-discoveries-from-its-attendee-survey-on-the-event-floor-nbsp">With our first-ever Middle Eastern event wrapped up, check out some of GCB’s discoveries from its attendee survey on the event floor.&nbsp;</h3>



<p>One of the challenges affecting the financial sector is how emerging technologies – such as the introduction of non-traditional currencies – influence consumer behaviour.</p>



<p>At Web Summit Qatar, financial services platform GCB asked attendees for their opinions on digital currency and how it affects their day-to-day financial decisions.</p>



<p>Here are GCB’s findings:</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-everybody-is-comfortable-with-cryptocurrency">Not everybody is comfortable with cryptocurrency</h4>



<p>Although cryptocurrency initially emerged in 2009, it wasn’t until around <a href="https://fortune.com/crypto/2023/10/24/bitcoin-reaches-highest-level-in-a-year-new-crypto-boom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2017</a>, when <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/29/16711304/bitcoin-price-10000-cryptocurrency-regulation-finance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">valuations were at an all-time high</a>, that people began to value investment.</p>



<p>And while digital currencies have fascinated financial experts in recent years, there has been a noticeable dip in their popularity as of late.</p>



<p>This is evidenced by GCB’s recent survey of Web Summit Qatar 2024 attendees.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Uncertainty clearly remains, with nearly a quarter of surveyees disregarding digital currencies as a valid option for financial practices in their daily lives.&nbsp;</p>



<p>What’s surprising is the number of respondents – nearly one-third – who expressed a willingness to integrate the financial tokens into their daily lives, indicating that many Web Summit Qatar attendees remain interested in moving on from traditional financial habits.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-stop-financial-shops-are-preferred-to-multiple-interfaces">One-stop financial shops are preferred to multiple interfaces</h4>



<p>Financial accessibility is crucial to consumers, validated by the recent global upsurge in the use of contactless payments and digital wallets.&nbsp;</p>



<p>More than half of the total surveyees remain loyal to a singular platform for all of their pecuniary needs, whether fiat or cryptocurrency, presumably due to the ease that singular financial interfaces afford users.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surveyors-favour-decentralised-tokens-nbsp">Surveyors favour decentralised tokens&nbsp;</h4>



<p>As digital tokens become more popular, the concept of decentralised finance becomes more appealing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For many users, a decentralised structure affords a more secure, private and trustless environment wherein digital assets can exist <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cryptocurrency.asp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beyond the control of traditional financial institutions</a>.</p>



<p>When asked about investing in cryptocurrency, attendees expressed an overwhelming interest in decentralised rather than centralised tokens, by a ratio of four to one.&nbsp;</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-you-miss-out-on-our-inaugural-middle-eastern-event-get-your-ticket-to-web-summit-qatar-2025-today-to-secure-your-spot">Did you miss out on our inaugural Middle Eastern event? <a href="https://qatar.websummit.com/flash-sale/">Get your ticket to Web Summit Qatar 2025 today</a> to secure your spot.</h4>



<p><em>Main image: <a href="http://websummit.com">Web Summit</a></em></p>


Cryptocurrency is far from mainstream, but interest persists

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Snoonu: “Web Summit is a great platform to present our vision”