Survey reveals Gen Z isn’t waiting for boomers as crypto age gap widens

The younger you are, the more trust you have in crypto.

That's the central finding of a new OKX survey of 1,000 Americans conducted in January 2026.

Related: On Reddit, Gen-Z, Millenials Blame Boomers for the Recession

Gen Z trusts crypto more

The survey revealed a striking divide between younger and older investors when it comes to digital assets.

When asked how much they trust crypto platforms, 40% of Gen Z and 41% of Millennials rated them 7 or higher on a 10-point scale, compared with just 9% of Baby Boomers. 

That makes younger generations roughly five times more trusting of crypto than their older peers.

Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) are digital natives shaped by technology, while millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) bridge the pre and post-internet eras. 

Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) grew up in postwar prosperity with deep trust in traditional institutions and financial systems.

Traditional finance tells a different story. 74% of boomers gave high trust scores to banks, while only around one in five younger respondents expressed similar confidence in legacy institutions.

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Younger traders are 4x more bullish for 2026

The enthusiasm gap is widening. 

Year over year, confidence among younger investors continues to rise: 36% of Gen Z and 34% of millennials said their trust in crypto had increased since early 2025, compared with just 6% of boomers.

That optimism is translating into action. 

In 2026, 40% of Gen Z and 36% of millennials plan to trade more crypto, making them nearly four times more bullish than boomers, only 11% of whom expect to expand their crypto exposure.

The survey suggests that for younger traders, volatility is less a deterrent and more a feature of an emerging financial system they feel they understand.

Related: Coinbase says just 5% in Bitcoin could supercharge your portfolio

What trust means for each generation

When asked what drives their trust, priorities diverged sharply.

Gen Z (59%), millennials (50%), and Gen X, or people born roughly between 1965 and 1980 (54%), all cited platform security as their top concern.

But boomers (65%), on the other hand, prioritized regulation and legal protection, underscoring their reliance on institutional oversight.

Asked what problems crypto solves better than traditional finance, nearly half of boomers said "none." Only 6% of Gen Z agreed.