The reasons for the lower enthusiasm of young people in the West for cryptocurrency trading can be summarized as follows:
1. Institutional security reduces anxiety
Social welfare safety net: The comprehensive unemployment benefits and healthcare education systems in places like Europe allow young people not to gamble everything on survival.
For example, unemployed individuals can apply for subsidies or vocational training, without having to rely on cryptocurrency trading to 'gamble for their lives'.
Long-term investment habits: Young Americans are more inclined to buy houses, participate in 401K retirement plans, and engage in stable investments, accumulating wealth through property appreciation or compound interest, rather than through short-term speculation.
2. Cultural preference for stability and enjoyment
Risk-averse tradition: The mainstream view holds that high-risk investments are for professionals, and the average person tends to trust traditional channels such as stocks and funds.
Although Generation Z is sensitive to new technologies, recent surveys show that their investments are becoming more conservative, leaning towards cash, bonds, and other low-risk assets.
Immediate gratification mindset: Young people are more willing to invest their time and money in experiences such as travel and skiing, rather than enduring the psychological pressure brought on by the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market.
3. Social structure provides diverse choices
Differences in class mobility: Traditional industries in the West (such as technology and finance) still have stable upward pathways, whereas in some Asian regions, young people face high housing prices and intense job competition, viewing cryptocurrency trading as a fantasy to 'break class solidification'.
Abundant alternative investments: In addition to real estate and stocks, young people in Europe can also choose compliant emerging assets such as digital euros, reducing their reliance on high-risk cryptocurrencies.
Comparative perspective: The 'desperate speculation' of East Asia
Young people in places like China face the pressures of 'high housing prices + weak social security + intense competition', being forced to view cryptocurrency trading as 'the last opportunity for class ascension'.
For example, 23% of South Koreans aged 20-39 have entered the cryptocurrency market due to severe conglomerate monopolies, forming a group mentality of 'if you don’t gamble, you lose'.
Summary: Institutional security reduces the necessity for risk-taking, cultural tendencies favor stability, and society provides multiple pathways, all of which collectively weaken the motivation for young people in the West to engage in cryptocurrency trading.
The regional differences in cryptocurrency enthusiasm fundamentally reflect the stage of social development and the completeness of safety nets.