45% of US Gen Z Want Virtual Assets as Year-End Gifts [World is Z Gold]

"Despite Bitcoin Volatility, Virtual Assets Remain Popular"
Interest in Virtual Asset Investment Rises in Korea as Well

Editor's NoteGeneration Z (those born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s) is emerging as a generation that leads culture and trends in a rapidly changing era, setting new standards across society. In [World is Z Gold], we shed light on the lives and values of Generation Z around the world and explore how they are transforming society.

Nearly half of Generation Z in the United States want to receive virtual assets as year-end gifts. As interest in virtual assets, previously classified as risky due to their speculative nature, rises, a shift in perception is being observed among younger generations.

"The Virtual Asset Craze Is Unlikely to Fade Easily"

According to the "2025 Year-End Spending Trends Survey" conducted by global payment company Visa with 1,000 American adults, 28% of all respondents said, "I would be happy to receive virtual assets as a gift this year-end." In particular, the proportion among Generation Z reached 45%, significantly higher than the overall average.

Additionally, 44% of Generation Z respondents said, "I have purchased goods with virtual assets." This means that nearly half of Generation Z are actually using virtual assets for consumption. Visa analyzed, "Young generations are perceiving digital assets as a natural means of payment."

Bruce Cundiff, Vice President of Consumer Insights at Visa, also commented, "These data interestingly illustrate shifts in consumption patterns," adding, "Nearly half of Americans are using AI in their shopping process, and Millennials & Gen Z are rapidly changing consumer culture by gifting or paying with virtual assets."

Expectations for virtual assets as a payment method were also revealed. About 10% of all respondents predicted that stablecoins would become a mainstream payment method by 2030, while 28% expected stablecoin usage to increase by 2035. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies whose value is pegged to specific assets to minimize price volatility, and are typically designed to be fixed to the value of the US dollar or euro.

American newsweekly Newsweek commented on this trend, stating, "Despite significant recent volatility in Bitcoin, the most prominent virtual asset, young Americans are hoping to receive virtual assets as gifts this Christmas." The report continued, "The enthusiasm for digital assets is unlikely to fade easily," adding, "This suggests that virtual assets could continue to establish themselves as a 'mainstream asset class' used widely by everyone from consumers to large financial institutions."

Interest in Virtual Assets Rises in Korea as Well

Interest in virtual assets is also rising in Korea. According to the "2025 Korea Wealth Report" published by KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, the proportion of real estate assets in the portfolios of wealthy individuals has decreased, while the proportion of financial and other assets has increased. The share of real estate assets fell from 59% in 2021 to 54.8% this year, whereas the proportion of financial assets rose slightly from 36.6% to 37.1% over the same period. The decrease in real estate assets is analyzed to have been offset by alternative assets, including physical assets such as gold and jewelry, as well as virtual assets.

Interest in investing in virtual assets has also expanded compared to before. 16.0% of respondents said they were "willing to invest in virtual assets," a figure 7.0 percentage points higher than last year. When asked about their perception of virtual assets, 76.3% of respondents agreed that they are "digital investment assets," while 58.3% agreed with the perception that they are a "broad-based payment method."

However, concerns about virtual assets still remain. The reasons include their high volatility and the lack of sufficient verification of their sustainability as an investment vehicle. 45.0% of respondents said that virtual assets would "remain a temporary trend."

The report stated, "While expectations for real estate and finance as short-term investment destinations among Korea's wealthy have declined, expectations for investments in other assets have gradually increased," adding, "Interest in gold, jewelry, and virtual assets has notably risen in the category of other asset investments."