Gen Z shifts to prediction markets after $150B altcoin wipeout

BeInCrypto reports a growing cohort of Gen Z crypto traders is shifting capital from altcoins and meme coins into on‑chain prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi, a move that followed an estimated $150 billion altcoin wipeout between late 2024 and the end of 2025. The outlet notes the economic backdrop is tight: the average Gen Z salary sits at $39,416, below the $48,614 living wage for an individual with no kids and well short of the roughly $106,000 the article cites as needed to live comfortably.

Against that reality, long‑term, illiquid token bets and slow wealth‑building feel out of reach for many younger traders. Weekly notional volumes across Polymarket and Kalshi surged from roughly $500 million in mid‑2025 to nearly $6 billion as of January 19, 2026, according to Dune data cited in the article.

App install trends mirrored that shift: crypto exchange downloads fell last year while Polymarket and Kalshi installs multiplied, the report says. The article argues prediction markets appeal structurally: binary outcomes (yes/no, resolve/expire) remove much of the narrative drift that drove the token boom.

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