Evaluation of crypto assets in context of foreign trade and a quantitative research on crypto assets

The aim of the thesis study is to evaluate the use of crypto assets as a payment instrument within the scope of the components of foreign trade and to examine the factors affecting the attitudes of individuals in the context of the use of crypto assets in foreign payments and individual investments. For this purpose, first, it was evaluated that to what extent crypto assets are compatible with money functions and features. It was stated that stable priced crypto assets, which are equivalent to national currencies, are compatible with traditional and modern money functions. When considered in terms of money features, it was evaluated that all crypto assets are compatible with money features other than "acceptability" and "ordinariness". In addition, crypto assets were classified according to their monetary characteristics, and a classification was developed consisting of three categories: variable priced, stable priced and crypto assets linked to financial products. After the evaluations within the scope of money functions and features, the current and possible usage areas of crypto assets were examined specifically for the previously determined foreign trade components. The determined foreign trade components are international currencies, international banking, international logistics, foreign trade law and customs procedures. Evaluations for foreign trade components were based on the use of crypto assets as a payment instrument and arguments were formed for the categories of the crypto asset classification created within the scope of the study during the evaluation process. Within the scope of the study, an empirical research was carried out to examine individual attitudes towards crypto assets. A research model based on the UTAUT-2 model was formed and the factors affecting two different dependent structures, namely "intention to use in foreign payments" and "intention to invest", were examined. According to the value of the path coefficient (β), it was found that the structures that significantly affect the intention to use in foreign payments are the dimensions called "performance expectancy", "social impact" and "perceived risk", in order of importance. The components that significantly affect the intention to invest are "performance expectancy", "social impact", "awareness", and "perceived risk", respectively. Effect size (f²) and predictive relevance (q²) values were also calculated to examine the interaction between dependent and independent structures within the scope of the research. It was seen that the "perceived risk" dimension, which affects the dependent structures of the model significantly and negatively according to the path coefficient values, does not have a significant contribution in terms of f² value. In addition, according to the path coefficients, "performance expectancy" has the largest impact on the dependent structures, while the most important structure according to the effect size is "social impact". The predictive relevance (q²) values of the independent structures also showed similar results with the effect size (f²) values. As a result of the empirical research, it was concluded that the most significant factors in terms of the tendency of the participants to use crypto assets in foreign payments and investment decisions are "performance expectancy " and "social impact".