The future of cryptocurrency largely rests in the hands of the younger generation, specifically Gen Z—those born roughly between 1997 and 2012. Despite crypto’s promise of independence and financial freedom, Gen Z isn’t embracing the technology as much as one might expect. The article explores this reluctance and offers solutions to win over the minds of this crucial demographic, which, if properly engaged, could shape the future of blockchain and Web3.
As a university student, the author, Benjamin Sturisky, shares his first-hand observations of how students are surprisingly skeptical of crypto. They’re at the perfect age to explore new financial technologies—too old to rely on parents for money, but not quite into full-time careers—yet they are reluctant to jump into crypto.
Why, you might wonder, would a generation that’s all about digital everything shy away from a revolutionary digital finance system? It boils down to trust—or rather, the lack of it. Gen Z sees crypto as something too good to be true, a land full of scams, rug pulls, and hacks. Sturisky notes that many Gen Z members have grown up bombarded by content on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where most of what they hear about crypto is negative. Viral posts about people losing their money in memecoins or getting scammed garner more attention than success stories of crypto adoption or financial freedom. To many, crypto seems like a dangerous gamble.
Mainstream media doesn’t help, either. The major outlets mostly cover crypto during a crisis, like the collapse of FTX, which adds to the feeling that crypto is untrustworthy. The bigger stories, like how Bitcoin is helping people in Latin America escape inflation, often get buried beneath the noise. This one-sided narrative has left many young people skeptical of the industry, making them less likely to consider a career in crypto.
But there’s hope. Sturisky emphasizes that the way forward is education—teaching young people not just about the basics of blockchain, but showing them real-world use cases where crypto is improving lives. He gives examples like Blackbird, which lets students earn free food, and Helium, which pays users for providing cell service. These real benefits could flip the script if they are made more visible.
One way to change the narrative is by focusing on the platforms Gen Z actually uses. Right now, most crypto discourse happens on Twitter and Telegram, platforms that aren’t popular with younger users. Sturisky argues that to reach Gen Z, the crypto community must invest in content on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms that highlight how blockchain is already benefiting people around the world.
University blockchain clubs are stepping up to the plate in a big way. Sturisky, who leads Gator Blockchain at the University of Florida, describes how these clubs are key to the future of crypto. They offer workshops, onboarding sessions, and access to industry leaders that help students understand and engage with blockchain technology. The clubs also have the potential to attract more young talent to the space, showing that crypto isn’t just for speculators or criminals but for innovators and entrepreneurs.
To further push this movement, Sturisky suggests that crypto companies and protocols should sponsor hackathons, offer research grants, and provide internships to students. He points out that the crypto industry needs to actively invest in Gen Z—not just for their financial contributions, but for the innovation they could bring. These students are digital natives who think differently about technology and finance, and they could be the key to taking blockchain to the next level.
Platforms that cater to Gen Z’s interests, like Play-to-Earn games or privacy-focused tools like BrightID and decentralized VPNs such as Orchid, also have a role to play. These tools align with Gen Z’s values of independence and privacy, and showcasing them could drive more young users on-chain.
Sturisky makes an urgent call to action: if the crypto industry doesn’t invest in reaching out to younger generations, we could miss a critical opportunity. As he puts it, the technology is here, and it’s up to us to find users for it. If not, crypto could go down as an attempt to solve a problem that people didn’t realize they needed fixing.
In the end, the article isn’t just about the challenges crypto faces with Gen Z; it’s a roadmap for how to overcome them. University blockchain clubs, creative content, and real-world applications are all pieces of the puzzle. And if the crypto community can solve it, the future could be incredibly bright.
