Crypto mass adoption may be a matter of time as generational wealth shifts toward younger investors who are more open to digital assets, according to an executive at Galaxy Digital.
The gradual transfer of wealth from older, more crypto-averse generations to younger, tech-savvy heirs could reshape investment preferences over the coming decades.
Speaking on Tuesday during an episode of the Milk Road show, Zac Prince, head of Galaxy Digital’s banking venture Galaxy One, said the eventual redistribution of wealth could benefit the crypto industry.
As assets move into the hands of younger generations, he argued, their investment preferences are likely to play a larger role in financial markets.
“I see a lot of stuff about how like younger people are getting screwed because older people are holding all the money,” Prince said.
He added that a wealth transfer will eventually begin, and when it does, “the preferences of younger folks are going to matter more.”
Generational wealth transfer in focus
The scale of the potential shift is significant.
Investment bank UBS estimated in its 2025 global wealth report that Americans collectively hold around $163 trillion in wealth.
Baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — account for more than half of that total, with $83.3 trillion in assets.
As this wealth is gradually passed on, even a small reallocation toward alternative assets could have an outsized impact on markets such as crypto.
While the process is likely to unfold over many years, industry participants see it as a structural tailwind rather than a short-term catalyst.
Data suggests that younger investors already show greater willingness to hold crypto and other non-traditional assets.
A fourth-quarter State of Crypto report from Coinbase found that about 25% of younger traders said they held assets such as crypto, derivatives, or private investments.
That compares with just 8% among older investors.
Technology and investment preferences
Prince also pointed to younger generations’ familiarity with technology as another factor that could support crypto adoption.
He argued that modern trading platforms and financial apps align more closely with how younger investors prefer to manage their money.
Newer tools often allow near-instant trading and access to multiple financial products through a single, intuitive interface.
Prince contrasted this with more traditional models, where investors might need to call a broker or schedule a meeting with a financial adviser to execute trades.
He said these technological trends favor digital-first asset classes such as crypto.
This combination of technological comfort and shifting wealth could, over time, make crypto a more mainstream component of investment portfolios, particularly among younger demographics.
Older investors show signs of interest
While younger investors are more likely to hold crypto, some evidence suggests that older generations may also be warming to the asset class.
A survey released in April last year by Australian exchange CoinSpot found that 38.5% of Australians aged over 60 said they were open to investing in crypto in the future.
That figure was close to the national average of 37.8%.
Additional data from the Australian exchange Independent Reserve also points to growing interest among older investors.
Its 2024 survey found that crypto ownership among people aged over 65 tripled to 6% between 2019 and 2024.
Taken together, these trends suggest that while generational change may be a key driver of long-term crypto adoption, openness to digital assets is gradually spreading across age groups.
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