Younger Americans are increasingly confident in cryptocurrencies, while older generations remain firmly committed to conventional finance, according to a up-to-date study published as part of the OKX Insights series.
The study, which surveyed 1,000 Americans in January, found a clear generational difference in trust, perspectives and expectations of digital resources. The younger the respondent, the more likely they were to perceive cryptocurrencies as both reliable today and crucial to finances in the future.
When asked how much they trust crypto platforms, 40% of Gen Zers (ages 12-29) and 41% of Millennials (ages 29-45) gave a high trust score, rating their trust at 7 or higher on a 10-point scale. Among baby boomers (those in their overdue 50s to overdue 70s), just 9% did the same, leaving younger generations roughly five times more trusting than their older counterparts.
On the other hand, 74% of Boomers gave conventional banks high trust ratings. Younger respondents were particularly more skeptical – around a fifth of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said they had low trust in banks.
Related: Crypto will handle 10% of post-trade transactions by 2030: Citi study
Generation Z, Millennials are becoming more and more confident in cryptocurrencies
Over time, self-confidence among younger participants also increases. Compared to January 2025, 36% of Gen Z and 34% of Millennials reported an boost in trust in crypto platforms. Among boomers, sentiment remained largely unchanged: almost half said their views had not changed, and only 6% reported greater confidence.
Looking ahead to 2026, trading plans reflect the same sentiment. Forty percent of Gen Z and 36% of Millennials plan to boost their cryptocurrency activity this year, compared to just 11% of Boomers, a nearly fourfold difference in bullishness.
“The trust gap is fundamentally a result of how different generations define trust,” an OKX spokesperson said, noting that baby boomers tend to associate financial trust with institutional approval and regulatory oversight, while Gen Z and younger Millennials place a greater value on verification, transparency and direct control.
“Regulations are more important to boomers because their trust model is strongly linked to oversight and institutional legitimacy,” the spokesman said. “So clearer rules and an improved regulatory framework can help reduce volatility, particularly in relation to consumer protection, storage standards and market integrity,” they added.
Related: 60% of cryptocurrency investors are youthful, educated and investing less than PLN 10,000. dollars – survey
Wealth transfer could accelerate cryptocurrency adoption
The same generational divide mentioned in the OKX survey may also aid explain why some industry executives see long-term cryptocurrency adoption as a matter of time.
Speaking recently on Milk Road, Zac Prince, head of Galaxy Digital’s Galaxy One banking venture, said the next phase of cryptocurrency growth could be fueled by intergenerational wealth transfer. He argued that as older, more cryptocurrency-averse generations pass on assets, younger heirs are likely to allocate capital to cryptocurrencies.
UBS estimates that Americans have a total wealth of $163 trillion, with baby boomers controlling more than half, or $83.3 trillion. Prince suggested that as capital begins to flow to younger generations, even a modest reallocation towards cryptocurrencies could have a huge impact on adoption.
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