The number of active share investors using online trading platforms has surged as they respond to market volatility and Millennials become interested in trading following the bitcoin boom, says Recep III Peker, research director at Investment Trends.

A survey by the firm found there were 750,000 active online share traders – those investors who make at least one trade in 12 months – at the end of last year, up from 645,000 a year earlier.