01 Jul 2025 3 min read 2025 Trends

Why Gen Z Is Betting Big on Sneakers, Crypto, and Collectibles

Gen Z is rewriting the rules of investing — with crypto, collectibles, and cultural clout. Here’s how they’re redefining wealth (and why your dad still loves bonds).

Gen Z isn’t buying stocks—they’re buying culture. Crypto, collectibles, and clout are rewriting the rules of investing.

The Great Wealth Rebellion is here. And it’s wearing Yeezys.

Summary

Gen Z isn’t buying the Wall Street playbook. Literally. They’re allocating nearly a third of their portfolios to things your dad thinks are scams: crypto, sneakers, NFTs, and even wine.

Turns out, they’re not just chasing hype—they’re reshaping what investing means.

Here’s how, why, and what happens next.

Introduction: From Stock Tips to Sneaker Drops

Remember when investing meant buying a blue-chip stock and watching CNBC?

Yeah, Gen Z doesn’t.

Today’s youngest investors are skipping the index funds and heading straight to the blockchain. Or a wine vault. Or a fractional Banksy. Traditional 60/40 portfolios? That’s for people who still use voicemail.

And before you dismiss this as youthful exuberance, consider this: 31% of Gen Z portfolios are now in alternative assets, compared to just 6% for older generations. That’s not a phase. That’s a regime change.

This is a generation shaped by the 2008 crash, raised on Reddit, and hardened by meme stocks. They don’t trust the system, and honestly? The system hasn’t done much to earn it.

Trend Breakdown: The Alt Asset Playbook

Portfolio Allocation by Generation

Generation	% in Alternative Assets
Gen Z	31%
Millennials	~28%
Gen X+	6%

Gen Z’s portfolios look like the financial version of a sneaker wall on Instagram—flashy, diverse, and full of stuff that might not make sense to your CFA.

Gen Z's Favorite Alternatives

Crypto/Digital Assets – 35% of Gen Z hold over half their portfolio in crypto. Not just Bitcoin—ETH, Solana, meme tokens, and more.
Real Estate – 31% allocation, often via crowdfunding platforms like Fundrise or fractional platforms like Arrived Homes.
Private Equity / Startups – 26% investing in early-stage companies, sometimes even their own brands.
Collectibles – Sneakers, NFTs, vintage games, graded Pokémon cards—asset or identity? Both.
Personal Brands – 24% are investing in themselves as income-generating machines (influencers, side hustles, monetized skills).

Platforms Gen Z Is Actually Using

Platform	Asset Type	Notes
Masterworks	Fine Art	Invest in Banksy or Basquiat for $20. Total art securitized: $400M+
Rally	Collectibles	Turn sneakers, cars, comics into tradable shares. SEC-qualified.
Public	Stocks + Alt Assets	Bought Otis, offers fractional shares in culture + ETFs
Robinhood	Stocks + Crypto	1Mth share trades, meme stock central. UI looks like TikTok for options trading
Acorns	ETF Rounding	Rounds up your lattes into ETFs. Passive, sleek, Gen Z-friendly

Why the Shift?

Skepticism toward TradFi: 72% of Gen Z don’t believe traditional stocks and bonds alone will build wealth.
Macroeconomic trauma: They came of age during 2008, started investing during COVID, and were welcomed by GameStop and inflation.
Culture = Capital: Investments are an extension of identity. Owning a rare NFT is like wearing a Rolex—except it can go viral.
FOMO as a driver: Social media, especially TikTok, turns every asset into a trend. If you’re not in early, you’re late.
Tech accessibility: Fractional ownership, DeFi platforms, and slick mobile UX have lowered the barrier to entry.
Values-first investing: 82% of Gen Z care about ESG, and 70% pick financial platforms that align with their personal values.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just about crypto bros or Yeezy flippers. It’s a deeper reconfiguration of how capital works in a generation that grew up never quite trusting it.

For Advisors:

They need to stop selling 1980s advice. Gen Z wants to talk about staking rewards, not dividend yield.

87% of Gen Z say they’re open to financial advisors—but they expect relevance, not lectures.
Advisors who understand cultural capital and alt assets will dominate the next decade.

For Platforms:

The interface is the portfolio.

If your app is clunky, forget it. Robinhood and Public win because they feel like Instagram with a brokerage license.
Gen Z doesn't separate "investing" from "user experience"—they are the same thing.

For Markets:

The volatility is intentional.

Gen Z is okay with riding a 30% drop in ETH if it means not being in IBM.
To them, risk is better than boredom. Because boredom doesn’t build wealth—or followers.

For Culture:

Investing is now a public act. Portfolios are flexes.

A fractional Banksy on your Public profile says more than a 401(k) statement.
This is the rise of Cultural Capitalism—where financial decisions also function as social ones.

Takeaways

Gen Z isn’t irrational—they’re reallocating risk to match their worldview. Volatile? Sure. But also early adopters of new models.
Fractionalization is the financial unlock. With $5, they buy a Basquiat or build their own ETF of sneakers.
Traditional finance should stop preaching and start listening. Platforms need to meet them where they live—online, mobile, and skeptical.
Advisors and platforms that blend investing with identity will win. Think investing + branding.
We’re watching the birth of “Cultural Capitalism.” It’s personal, public, and powered by tech.