According to a survey released by Policy Genius on April 9th, over one-fifth of young people in the United States own crypto assets, and the younger generation invests in crypto assets four times more frequently than the older generation.
Compared to traditional investments, Generation Z (18 to 26-year-olds) has the highest preference for crypto assets. 20% of surveyed Generation Z respondents said they own crypto assets, 18% own stocks, 13% own real estate, and 11% own bonds.
The millennial generation (27 to 42-year-olds) invests in crypto assets slightly more frequently than Generation Z respondents, with 22% of them owning crypto assets.
However, the ownership rate of crypto assets among millennials does not surpass the traditional investment rate. 27% of them invest in stocks, and 24% invest in real estate. Bonds are not as popular in this age group, with only 16% investing in them.
The survey also found that 9% of Generation Z respondents own NFTs, while only 8% of millennials do.
While in absolute terms, the investment rates of each generation show some interest in crypto assets, the investment rate of Generation Z becomes significantly notable when compared to the older generation.
Policy Genius found that the overall ownership rate of crypto assets is significantly lower among the two oldest generations.
Among Generation X (people born in the mid-1960s to the late 1970s), 10% of respondents own crypto assets, and 4% own NFTs.
Meanwhile, only 5% of the Baby Boomer generation (people born between 1946 and 1964) own crypto assets, and 1% of them own NFTs.
The generation gap also relates to real estate investments. When considering the investment rates of Generation Z and millennials together, 21% of respondents own crypto assets, while 20% own real estate.
However, despite the investment rates being very close within age groups, older investors have a much higher real estate investment rate. For example, 45% of Baby Boomers investors choose real estate.
The report states that housing shortages and high housing costs may hinder young people from investing in real estate, thereby increasing the attractiveness of alternative investments such as crypto assets.
