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Bitcoin users are either tech enthusiasts or criminals, study says

A study published by the University of Kentucky examining Google Trends claims bitcoin interest is driven primarily by computer programmers and criminals.

August 5, 2015

A new study published by the University of Kentucky claims to have uncovered key data on bitcoin users by analyzing Google Trends data. It has identified two primary groups among bitcoin users: technology enthusiasts and criminals.

The study gathered GT search data from January 2011 to July 2013 across the U.S. It placed bitcoin users into four categories — criminals, libertarians, tech enthusiasts and investors — and compared interest among all four of the groups.

The study found that the states with the highest bitcoin interest during the period were Utah, Oregon, California, Washington, Nevada, New Hampshire and Vermont. The study found little support for the claim that bitcoin interest is driven by investors or libertarians; however, it found stronger evidence that tech enthusiasts and criminals drive interest in the virtual currency.

The study can be downloaded here.