Consumers' Foresight for the Digital Turkish Lira: an Empirical Study

Abstract

This study aims to explain consumers' attitudes toward digital currency and their intention to use it with perceived trust, risk, usefulness, and ease of use. Data were obtained from 801 people through an online survey. Structural equation modeling and Process Macro were run to analyze the obtained data statistically. According to the statistical analysis results, while the trust factor affects the risk negatively, it positively affects the usefulness and attitude. Usefulness and risk have mediating role in the effect of trust on attitude. In addition, although the effect of usefulness on attitude is significant, the effect of risk on attitude is not significant. Attitude affects the intention to use it. Ease of use has a moderating role in this effect. At low, medium, and high values of ease of use, the attitude has conditional effects on the intention to use. Although there are many international studies on the adoption and use of digital currencies, few studies investigate the predictions of consumers' digital currency use in developing countries. This study contributes to the literature by raising awareness about digital currencies in developing countries. This study also fills an important gap in monitoring consumers' predictions about digital currency use in developing countries. In the context of the digital currency issue and the theoretical background of this study, it was seen that the variables evaluated in this study were not evaluated together in previous studies. It has been successfully explained that the original research model of this study has structural validity. As a result, the relationship between the variables was successfully explained.