Young Wealthy Investors Drop Advisers Who Don’t Offer Crypto, Survey Finds

What Happened

Thirty-five percent of young wealthy US investors have already moved money away from advisers who don’t offer crypto exposure.

92% of surveyed investors want access to a broader range of digital assets beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.

A study released Wednesday by crypto payments firm Zerohash surveyed 500 U.S. investors aged 18 to 40 with annual incomes between $100,000 and $1 million.

Institutional Adoption Boosts Young Investors’ Confidence in Crypto

The trend reflects how quickly crypto has moved from fringe to mainstream for younger investors.

Investors at the upper end of the income spectrum appear to be the most impatient. Among respondents earning $500,000 or more, half said they had already switched advisers due to a lack of crypto offerings.

Meanwhile, 21Shares has launched its new 21Shares Solana ETF (TSOL) on the CBOE, giving U.S. investors direct exposure to the spot price of SOL without holding the token themselves.

TSOL follows 21Shares’ earlier US launches, including its ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (now above $8 billion AUM) and its spot Ethereum ETF.

Market Context

“Advisers who adapt early can strengthen client loyalty and capture new growth, while those who delay risk falling behind,” the firm said.

BlackRock appears to be preparing to enter that market as well, filing for a staked Ether ETF in Delaware this week.

The fund debuted with $100 million in assets under management, joining a growing wave of Solana-focused products entering the US market.

Why It Matters

Zerohash said the results show that crypto has become “essential to modern portfolio strategy,” and warned that wealth advisers who fail to adapt may lose clients to platforms offering broader digital asset access.

Respondents were clear about their expectations: they want crypto integrated into their existing portfolios, with insured custody and compliant access.

Details

A growing share of young, affluent Americans are ditching financial advisers who don’t provide access to crypto, according to new survey data that highlights a widening generational divide in wealth management.

Key Takeaways:

Institutional adoption from firms like BlackRock and Fidelity has boosted confidence.

The findings showed that 35% have already moved money away from advisers who do not offer crypto exposure, and more than half of those shifts involved between $250,000 and $1 million.

Zerohash noted that more than four-fifths of respondents said their confidence in digital assets increased as major financial institutions, including BlackRock, Fidelity and Morgan Stanley, embraced the sector over the past year.

The survey also pointed to robust demand ahead: 84% plan to increase their crypto holdings over the next 12 months, with nearly half saying they intend to “increase their allocations significantly.”

The demand goes beyond just Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Ninety-two percent said access to a wider range of digital assets is important, a trend reflected in the growing menu of exchange-traded products tied to altcoins such as Solana, XRP, and Dogecoin.

Staking Products Gaining Momentum

Asset managers are increasingly rolling out more complex offerings, including staking-based products that generate yield for users who lock up tokens.

The firm already runs the world’s largest Solana ETP in Europe, with more than $1 billion in assets.