Profit-taking is 60% 'intuition'. Exit survey of 733 crypto asset investors
A survey of 733 crypto asset investors by Clabo revealed that about 60% decide to take profits based on 'intuition', and over 70% regret their timing. The results highlight the lack of exit strategies.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 19:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 10:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 02:42 (352h 12m after Collected)
Clabo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Ikuma Ueno) conducted a fact-finding survey on 'profit-taking timing and investment styles' among 733 individuals with experience in crypto asset investment.
The survey revealed that approximately 60% of investors 'decide based on intuition without a specific rule' as their criterion for profit-taking, exposing the reality that they operate without a quantitative exit strategy.
Furthermore, 76.5% of the total respondents have experienced regret regarding their profit-taking timing. Even among those who have set clear rules, 87.5% feel regret, bringing to light data that symbolizes the difficulty of making investment decisions.
This report analyzes in detail the presence or absence of rules per investment style, the reality of gathering information mainly through SNS, and the need for specialized information sought by those who harbor regrets, presenting challenges for investors to make more convincing decisions.
■ Survey Overview
Survey Date: February 24, 2026
Survey Method: Internet survey
Target Audience: Men and women living in Japan (with crypto asset investment experience)
Valid Responses: 733
Conducting Body: Clabo Co., Ltd.
■ Survey Contents
## 'Long-term holding' is the most common investment style | About half are long-term investors
### Overall distribution of investment styles
When asked about their current investment style, 'mainly long-term holding' was the most common with 349 people (47.6%). This was followed by 'mainly short-term trading' with 225 people (30.7%), 'using both depending on the situation' with 124 people (16.9%), and 'currently mostly wait-and-see' with 35 people (4.8%).
### Relationship with years of experience
Looking at the years of experience, while long-term holding is common among those with less than 1 year of experience, the proportion of short-term trading tends to increase among those with 1 to under 3 years of experience. For those with 5 years or more, long-term holding becomes mainstream again, and the proportion of 'using both' also increases.
There is a noticeable shift in investment behavior: starting with long-term holding right after beginning investments, trying short-term trading as they get accustomed to it, and returning to long-term holding as they gain further experience.
## #1 timing for profit-taking is 'deciding by intuition' | Most investors lack clear criteria
### Overall distribution of profit-taking timing
The most common timing used to decide on profit-taking (selling) was 'not specifically decided, judging by intuition' at 182 people (24.8%). This is followed by 'judging by looking at news and market trends' at 141 people (19.2%) and 'when feeling the price has started to drop' at 117 people (16.0%).
The top three items ('intuition', 'news/trends', 'feeling price drop') are all decision methods that do not set quantitative criteria in advance. The sum of these three items reaches 60.0%, revealing that 60% of crypto asset investors judge profit-taking without clear numerical criteria.
### Profit-taking timing by investment style
Cross-tabulating by investment style...
The survey revealed that approximately 60% of investors 'decide based on intuition without a specific rule' as their criterion for profit-taking, exposing the reality that they operate without a quantitative exit strategy.
Furthermore, 76.5% of the total respondents have experienced regret regarding their profit-taking timing. Even among those who have set clear rules, 87.5% feel regret, bringing to light data that symbolizes the difficulty of making investment decisions.
This report analyzes in detail the presence or absence of rules per investment style, the reality of gathering information mainly through SNS, and the need for specialized information sought by those who harbor regrets, presenting challenges for investors to make more convincing decisions.
■ Survey Overview
Survey Date: February 24, 2026
Survey Method: Internet survey
Target Audience: Men and women living in Japan (with crypto asset investment experience)
Valid Responses: 733
Conducting Body: Clabo Co., Ltd.
■ Survey Contents
## 'Long-term holding' is the most common investment style | About half are long-term investors
### Overall distribution of investment styles
When asked about their current investment style, 'mainly long-term holding' was the most common with 349 people (47.6%). This was followed by 'mainly short-term trading' with 225 people (30.7%), 'using both depending on the situation' with 124 people (16.9%), and 'currently mostly wait-and-see' with 35 people (4.8%).
### Relationship with years of experience
Looking at the years of experience, while long-term holding is common among those with less than 1 year of experience, the proportion of short-term trading tends to increase among those with 1 to under 3 years of experience. For those with 5 years or more, long-term holding becomes mainstream again, and the proportion of 'using both' also increases.
There is a noticeable shift in investment behavior: starting with long-term holding right after beginning investments, trying short-term trading as they get accustomed to it, and returning to long-term holding as they gain further experience.
## #1 timing for profit-taking is 'deciding by intuition' | Most investors lack clear criteria
### Overall distribution of profit-taking timing
The most common timing used to decide on profit-taking (selling) was 'not specifically decided, judging by intuition' at 182 people (24.8%). This is followed by 'judging by looking at news and market trends' at 141 people (19.2%) and 'when feeling the price has started to drop' at 117 people (16.0%).
The top three items ('intuition', 'news/trends', 'feeling price drop') are all decision methods that do not set quantitative criteria in advance. The sum of these three items reaches 60.0%, revealing that 60% of crypto asset investors judge profit-taking without clear numerical criteria.
### Profit-taking timing by investment style
Cross-tabulating by investment style...