Grayscale Research Director: Generation Z starts investing at an average age of 19
Grayscale Research Director Zach Pandl published an article on September 28, 2026, in the company's column The Stack. The article states that among American investors, Generation Z starts investing at an average age of 19, Millennials at 25, Generation X at 32, and Baby Boomers at 35. Based on a retirement age of 65, Generation Z has an investment horizon of 46 years, which is over 50% longer than the 30-year horizon when Baby Boomers started investing.Zach Pandl: Starting to invest earlier not only benefits from compound interest but also expands the capacity to take on risk. When young, labor capital accounts for a larger proportion of wealth, and a longer horizon means more time to recover from fluctuations, as well as more future income available for continued saving and investing, thereby expanding the lifetime risk budget. He believes that the returns on digital assets are both volatile and potentially asymmetric, making them more suitable for longer and more flexible horizons.Zach Pandl also mentioned that for early investors, the cost of recent volatility may be less than the opportunity cost of missing out on long-term upside. With decades available for rebalancing, adding funds, and compounding across cycles, early starters may allocate a higher proportion to digital assets while keeping their lifetime risk balanced. Starting to invest earlier gives investors more time to absorb fluctuations, potentially enhancing the utility of digital assets in long-term portfolios.
