Crypto is no longer a fringe investment for young Americans. In 2025, digital assets have firmly entered mainstream portfolios, and financial advisors who fail to keep up are now losing clients at a measurable pace.
According to a new survey from crypto payments provider Zero Hash, 35% of U.S. investors aged 18 to 40 say they have already moved money away from advisors who do not provide access to cryptocurrencies.
The survey, titled “Crypto and the Future of Wealth,” collected responses from 500 investors with household incomes ranging from $100,000 to more than $1 million.
Crypto Adoption Among Affluent Young Investors
The report highlights the rapid normalization of crypto among younger, affluent investors. 61% of respondents already hold digital assets, with 43% allocating between 5–10% of their portfolios to crypto.
Another 27% allocate 11–20%, while 11% hold more than 20%, making crypto as common as real estate in young portfolios, and far more prevalent than hedge funds, art, or collectibles.
Self-Directed Investing Trend
Despite this strong adoption, most investors are bypassing traditional advisors entirely. Zero Hash found that 76% of crypto holders manage their digital assets independently, signaling a major generational shift toward self-directed investing.
Financial Impact on Wealth Management
The consequences for wealth managers are significant. Among investors who moved funds due to a lack of crypto support, more than half shifted between $250,000 and $1 million, indicating substantial revenue loss for advisory firms.
High-income clients are driving the trend: 51% of respondents earning over $500,000 annually have already moved money away from advisors who don’t offer crypto access.
Institutional Adoption Boosts Confidence
Confidence in digital assets has also increased as major financial institutions, including BlackRock, Fidelity, and Morgan Stanley, have embraced crypto. Over 80% of surveyed investors said institutional adoption has strengthened their trust in the asset class.
Future Outlook for Advisors
Zero Hash concluded that digital assets have become “essential to modern portfolio strategy,” warning that advisors who fail to adapt risk falling behind. With 84% of respondents planning to increase their crypto holdings in the next year, the pressure on wealth managers is only expected to grow.
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