The next generation of investors are super online ⁠— instead of traditional investments, many Gen Z and young millennial investors, from teens to

Crypto is 'the future of finance’: Why Gen Z is ditching traditional investments—but with caution

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2021-06-24 04:30:03

The next generation of investors are super online ⁠— instead of traditional investments, many Gen Z and young millennial investors, from teens to those in their early 20s, are bullish on cryptocurrency and the technology that surrounds it.

This includes digital coins and blockchains, like bitcoin and ethereum; meme coins, like dogecoin; NFTs, or nonfungible tokens; and DeFi, or decentralized finance.

Some have spent the bulk of their savings on these type of investments: Nearly half of millennial millionaires have at least 25% of their wealth in cryptocurrencies, according to a new CNBC Millionaire Survey. More than a third of millennial millionaires have at least half their wealth in crypto and about half own NFTs.

Young investors have also taken part in recent meme stock rallies, which occur when retail investors buy up shares of stocks shorted by Wall Street hedge funds, like GameStop and AMC Entertainment. In part, the investors hope to force hedge funds to pay, overcoming what they see to be an inefficient system.

One reason young people have turned to alternative investments like crypto is simple: Many just don't trust traditional investment institutions, as Allison Reichel, 23, tells CNBC Make It. They prefer to rely on their own research rather than use insights from traditional institutions, like financial advisors from legacy firms.