A new survey of Morgan Stanley interns reveals a striking gap between cryptocurrency adoption and artificial intelligence usage among the next generation of finance professionals.
Despite Bitcoin’s meteoric rise beyond $100,000 and growing institutional acceptance, only 18% of Morgan Stanley’s interns in North America and Europe own or use cryptocurrencies.
This represents a modest increase from 13% last year, suggesting a cautious approach from these digital natives toward an increasingly mainstream asset class.
Meanwhile, 55% of interns remain completely uninterested in digital assets, though this figure has decreased from 63% in 2024.
The silent crypto majority dwindles—yet more than half of tomorrow’s financial elite still keep digital assets at arm’s length.
The contrast with AI adoption couldn’t be more stark.
A whopping 96% of U.S. interns and 91% of their European counterparts regularly use artificial intelligence tools, viewing them primarily as time-saving and effective resources.
It’s like comparing a bustling metropolis (AI) to a frontier town (crypto) – both digital technologies emerged in similar timeframes, but one has become as common as morning coffee while the other remains a specialized curiosity.
Interestingly, humanoid robots captured more imagination than cryptocurrencies, with over 60% of U.S. interns and 69% of European interns expressing desire to have one at home.
The humanoid market is projected to exceed $5 trillion by 2050 – roughly equivalent to Japan’s current GDP.
The survey’s findings present a paradox for the crypto industry: while Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated $53.7 billion in assets and Ethereum reached record prices above $4,800, tomorrow’s financial leaders remain hesitant.
This disconnect between institutional investment and personal adoption suggests that regulatory progress and price appreciation haven’t fully addressed the concerns of younger professionals.
As the “Mag 7” Wall Street firms pour $650 billion into AI capital and R&D, the technology gap widens.
While crypto inches toward broader acceptance with 26% of interns expressing interest (up from 23%), AI has already won the race for mindshare among finance’s rising stars.
Some analysts believe Bitcoin could reach price targets above $150,000 in 2025, driven by institutional ETF inflows and broader macroeconomic uncertainty.
Regarding AI quality, interns believe that accuracy improvements are needed, with 88% citing this as a priority despite their high adoption rates.
Nearly half of European participants indicated that they have mental health concerns related to technology usage, highlighting potential drawbacks amid the technological enthusiasm.
