Almost a quarter of Britons are ready to invest in tokens or NFTs this year, according to a new national survey.

Tokens – a new way to access assets previously reserved for the wealthy few – are also seen as technologically secure forms of investment, according to the results of the nationally representative survey of 2,000 people commissioned by Tokenise.

When asked about which investments they viewed as most risky, 41 per cent said bitcoin, 27 per cent company shares, 19 per cent oil, 17 per cent property, and 16 per cent gold. Just 11 per cent of respondents found tokens the riskiest form of investment.

Ease of access is also important, particularly for younger investors. When asked what contributed to their decision to buy tokens, 53 per cent of 18–24-year-olds cited the ability to invest online or through an app.

While the survey found appetites to invest in tokens are high, market maturity takes time. Some 30 per cent of respondents had never heard of digital assets (tokens, fractional ownership, NFTs or cryptocurrency), showing that education has some way to go in generating awareness.

Across the UK, there are big regional differences in knowledge and the appetite to invest in tokens. Some 41 per cent of Londoners, 27 per cent of those in the Northeast and 24 per cent in the Southwest are keen to use, buy or trade a token in 2022. Just 4 per cent in the Northwest and 5 per cent in the East Midlands have heard of tokens or NFTs.

The year after ‘NFT’ was named Collins Dictionary’s word of the year, consumer interest in newer asset classes continues to grow. Tokens are emerging as a way to increase accessibility to assets previously reserved for the wealthy few – such as property, wine and art. Further driven by low interest rates and inflation affecting traditional investment vehicles, the time might be right for tokens to take centre stage.