Gen Z more likely to own crypto than stocks: Survey

One in five Americans under 42 own crypto, the survey found

article-image

WindAwake/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

A newly released Policygenius survey showed that younger Americans are almost as likely to own crypto as real estate.

According to the survey, which was commissioned in October of last year, 21% of the millennials and Gen Z’ers surveyed were almost as likely to own crypto as the 20% who own real estate. 

Real estate has been a difficult market for younger generations to break into in the last few years — following a pandemic boom — as interest rates soared and median home prices made the American dream of buying a house less realistic. 

Of those surveyed, 10% of Gen X’ers said they owned crypto. Perhaps unsurprisingly, only 5% of boomers owned crypto. 

Read more: A fifth of US voters have bought crypto, Paradigm survey finds

Looking further, Gen Z is more likely to own crypto over stocks, with only 18% of the younger generation owning the latter.

One in five Americans under the age of 42, Policygenius said, own crypto.

Very few of those surveyed owned NFTs. 9% of Gen Z owned NFTs, and millennials followed with 8%. Only 4% of Gen X’ers held NFTs, higher than the 1% of boomers. YouGov, which was commissioned by Policygenius, polled 4,000 Americans 18 years or older at the time.  

Outside of crypto specifics, the survey also found that Gen Z and millennials feel “somewhat proud” of how they manage their finances. 

While the survey was conducted before the Securities and Exchange Commission approved spot bitcoin ETFs, and bitcoin hit new all-time highs, it helps to give a snapshot into how younger Americans are approaching crypto — whether the bull market is raging or not. 

Read more: Bitcoin price surges past $69K to hit new all-time high

Bitcoin (BTC), however, posted a 28% gain in October of last year, floating around $30,000. It currently trades around $70,000 and the larger crypto market sits at a $2.6 trillion market cap.

In February of last year, Coinbase found that roughly 20% of Americans own crypto, though the survey sampled only 2,000 Americans.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

The goal, per Santiago Santos, is to make crypto a relatable piece of tech for people who may not even understand it

article-image

Stripe stablecoin unit aims to operate under a federal charter enabling regulated stablecoin issuance and custody services

by Blockworks /
article-image

Will TradFi make crypto better or create more problems than it solves?

article-image

Subtle decisions by risk curators saved Aave from significant turmoil

article-image

The new Rootstock Institutional unit aims to connect professional investors to Bitcoin-native yield and liquidity strategies anchored in BTC’s security layer

by Blockworks /
article-image

DOJ files record civil forfeiture against more than 127,000 BTC linked to scam activity

by Blockworks /