Traditional Investing vs New Trends: A Review of the Investment Landscape in Transition Towards Industry 4.0

Abstract

The aim for the current paper is to provide an overview analysis on the main financial markets. As a result, the study will investigate the topic of mutual funds, stock market or cryptocurrency investments. Consequently, this article provides evidence that in the European Union, one out of five individuals has at least one investment source. In effect, the research shows that if there is demand, it will also be a supply, both factors ensuring the existence of the stock market. Unlike most of the previous studies it has a double approach. First of all, this study critically examines the framework of the main investment sources starting from the traditional ones – like mutual funds, to the new ones – cryptocurrency market. Additionally, this paper develops investigations in the field of quantitative analysis presenting the respondents’ opinions regarding the future of cryptocurrencies as well as their reliability compared to mutual funds. These findings can serve as the foundation of a potential investment strategy for any consumer with medium- and long-term financial objectives.