Cincinnati Edition: A new tool to protect cryptocurrency investors
UC researchers have created a free resource to measure cryptoeconomics literacy
Many people have invested in cryptocurrencies without understanding how they work, which has led to them losing money, University of Cincinnati researchers told WVXU’s Cincinnati Edition.
Michael Jones, PhD, Carl H. Lindner College of Business assistant professor of economics and director of the Cryptoeconomics Lab at UC Digital Futures, and Truong “Jack” Luu, a doctoral student and Cryptoeconomics Lab research fellow, joined Cincinnati Edition to discuss their work into developing a scale to measure cryptoeconomics literacy.
“Our research is not about encouraging you to invest, but we want to make sure that we protect future adopters,” Luu said.
A 10-question survey, which is open source and available for any institution to use for free to measure the cryptoeconomics knowledge of their clients or population base, measures users’ knowledge about cryptoeconomics. A higher score represents a greater understanding of cryptoeconomics.
The average score has been six, Jones said, with 40% of people scoring less than a five.
“When you ask people how well they understand it, the vast majority of people said they just don’t have the confidence to make good decisions,” Jones said.
Many people who invested in cryptocurrency did so because of a fear of missing out, Jones said.
The researchers want individuals to be aware of which cryptocurrencies are legitimate, how to safely store their assets and how to avoid scams.
“There are about 23,000 cryptocurrencies out there, and not all of them are legitimate projects,” Luu said.
Featured image at top: A pile of cryptocurrencies. Photo/Traxer on Unsplash
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC marketing class featured in Super Bowl Ad Meter School Spotlight
March 4, 2026
University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business was one of just 16 institutions representing USA Today’s Ad Meter School Spotlight program, where students got to evaluate the ads and publish their findings alongside industry professionals. The students' top-rated commercials largely aligned with Ad Meter’s official rankings, with Budweiser's "American Icons" earning the highest score. The participants included over 300 students across two marketing classes taught by assistant professor-educator Summer Shelton. She came to the University from a marketing research firm and brings experience ranking Super Bowl commercials as an industry professional herself.
UC Law Team Earns Third Place at KMK First-Year Law Student Case Competition
March 4, 2026
UC Law Team Earns Third Place at KMK First-Year Law Student Case Competition
Study: There might be 3 different types of ADHD
March 4, 2026
The University of Cincinnati's Melissa DelBello was featured in a National Geographic article discussing recent research she coauthored that used brain imaging to identify three distinct subtypes of of ADHD, each with its own chemical interactions in the brain.