Cryptocurrency trading has become an increasingly prominent financial activity, yet its psychological risks remain underexamined. Individuals facing financial stress may engage in impulsive and compulsive trading behaviors that resemble gambling addiction, often driven by emotional urgency and distorted future expectations (Johnson et al., 2023; Mumcu, 2025; Şentürk et al., 2023). Understanding the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind such behaviors is critical for informing applied psychological responses.


This study aims to examine how perceived financial pressure contributes to problematic cryptocurrency trading, focusing on the psychological roles of negative future orientation and financial literacy in this relationship. Previous research has shown that negative expectations about the future often conceptualized through hopelessness and future anxiety—can impair self-regulation and increase the likelihood of short-term, high-risk decisions (Liang et al., 2025; Hirsch et al., 2019). Conversely, financial literacy has been associated with more adaptive financial behavior and emotional resilience under economic strain (Białowolski et al., 2024; Alshebami & Murad, 2022).


The study will be conducted in Türkiye, a country that ranks third globally in cryptocurrency ownership relative to population, with 19.3% of its population involved in crypto investments (Triple-A, 2024). Data will be collected from adults currently engaged in cryptocurrency trading. Participants will complete validated self-report measures including the Family Economic Strain Scale (Hilton & Devall, 1997; Gürel & Çopur, 2021), the Dark Future Scale (Zaleski et al., 2019; Yakın & Temeloğlu Şen, 2023), the Beck Hopelessness Inventory (Beck et al., 1974; Seber et al., 1991), the Financial Literacy Attitude and Behavior Scale (Sarıgül, 2015), and the Problematic Cryptocurrency Trading Scale (Menteş et al., 2021).


By exploring how these variables interact, this study is expected to illuminate the psychological processes underlying risky financial behavior and offer insights into targeted interventions that promote financial and emotional well-being.