More than half of young wealthy U.S. investors are moving money away from financial advisors who do not offer cryptocurrency access, according to new research by Zerohash.
The survey of 500 investors aged 18 to 40, with incomes between $100,000 and over $1 million, found that 61% already hold cryptocurrency. However, 76% buy and manage it on their own instead of through an advisor. Another 64% said they would stay longer with their advisor or invest more if crypto options were available.
The trend is pushing investment platforms to expand crypto services. Last week, Public acquired Alto’s CryptoIRA business for $65 million, adding $600 million in assets to its platform. Public now offers direct crypto holdings inside individual retirement accounts, not only ETF exposure.
Activity in crypto-linked retirement accounts is rising. Public reports that crypto ETF trading in IRAs tripled from January to October 2025, and nearly 10% of IRA accounts traded a crypto ETF in October.
Industry data shows broader adoption. A report by 1kx says crypto protocols are on track to generate $20 billion in revenue this year. Zerohash data shows average transaction sizes rising from $400 in 2022 to $1,900 in 2025, and new users trading sooner. Women now account for 30% of transactions.
Younger investors plan further growth. Eighty-four percent of Gen Z respondents expect to increase their crypto holdings in the next year.
Crypto IRAs are gaining attention because they allow buying and selling without immediate capital gains taxes. This appeals to investors who rebalance their portfolios frequently.
The shift comes as an estimated $124 trillion is expected to transfer from older generations to younger ones. Alto, after selling its CryptoIRA unit, will now focus on providing custodial infrastructure for other investment platforms.
The findings show a clear message for financial advisors: younger wealthy investors expect crypto access, and many will leave advisors who cannot provide it.
