As crypto reshapes global finance, one currency reigns quietly behind the scenes: trust. Investors place faith in unfamiliar – and often unverified – sources, whether they come from anonymous X accounts, AI-generated tips, or influencers.
“Trust in online strangers, particularly in the crypto space, often comes from immediate access to perceived expertise and viral success stories,” Aleksandra Tsybulskaya, Crypto Mining professional, told The Crypto Radio.
According to 2024 YouGov data, consumers in Indonesia (87%), India (76%), and the UAE (71%) are among the most likely across global markets to find finance-related information by social media influencers helpful.
Singapore showed a similar trend, with nearly 57% of respondents saying they trust influencer-driven financial content.
“Social proof plays a huge role; when advice garners hundreds of likes or endorsements, it creates the illusion of collective validation,” said Tsybulskaya.
Reliance or risk?
“Influencers can also gain undue credibility from emotions like FOMO, the fear of missing out, especially when there is a large following already,” Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting at Cambridge Judge Business School, told The Crypto Radio.
Jagolinzer explained how many influencers develop parasocial relationships with followers based on how frequently they engage online, “earning more trust with an optimistic tone and a lot of pseudo eye-contact.”
“Many will communicate with jargon at a fast pace to make themselves sound like they are experts in something quite sophisticated. In that sense, the presumption is to trust them because they’ve done the homework to learn the technical elements,” he said.
Tsybulskaya, who also provides strategic investment advice and financial planning, highlighted how crypto’s decentralized culture has made non-traditional authorities like miners, traders, and developers just as influential as institutional voices.
“This trust can be productive when the influencer is credible, but exposes newcomers to substantial risk if due diligence is lacking,” she warned.
Advising and investing in the UAE crypto market for many years, Tsybulskaya always ensures she filters out high-risk or fraudulent opportunities by verifying a project’s team credibility, regulatory status, and whether its technology has undergone reputable audits before committing funds.
AI vs influencers
While trust in individual influencers remains strong, AI-generated content is also gaining traction. According to a 2025 CoinGecko survey, more than one in four crypto users say they strongly trust AI influencers on Crypto Twitter.
Of the 2,632 participants surveyed between February 20 and March 10, 26.6% reported strong trust in AI KOLs – split between 13.5% who said they “mostly trust” them and 13.1% who “completely trust” them.
Certain biases might cause people to perceive AI influencers as more objective or trustworthy than humans. In Tsybulskaya’s experience within the UAE crypto sector, for instance, she has observed how this bias “is particularly among new investors who are attracted to the impartiality and speed of AI advisors.”
A 2023 Nature scientific report showed that biases in AI can give users a false sense of neutrality, influencing their decision-making. The study underscores the need to acknowledge AI’s potential for bias and its impact on human judgment.
“While AI tools can offer valuable analytics and efficiency, [they] can never replace human knowledge. We should remember that both humans and algorithms have inherent limitations, and blind trust in either can lead to risky decisions,” Tsybulskaya stressed.
Crypto Twitter, ‘a double-edged sword’
While AI tools grow in popularity, Crypto Twitter remains a central force shaping investor behavior. Tsybulskaya was one of the many who got “swept up in the excitement of Crypto Twitter and [made] poor decisions.”
“On the good side, it is where I find fast updates, tips, and cool opportunities – it’s great for learning and networking. However, it can be full of hype, rumours, or just straight up bad advice,” she added.
Jagolinzer said social media offers easy access to credible educational content and can help users grasp foundational concepts. He gave examples: “What are assets? How do they create value? How are they priced? What risks do they carry?”
At the same time, he cautioned that “it is quite difficult to assess who is being manipulative and trying to exploit you.”
To illustrate how trust can be undermined, Jagolinzer outlined six common elements of disinformation campaigns: a malign actor, a benefit, a manipulative message, disinformation channels, a precise audience targeting, and the intent to exploit them – all working together to distort truth.
“Personally, I use social media to get ideas,” Tsybulskaya said. “But I always double-check before putting any money in. Trust – but verify.”
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