Recently, I read a report that wasn't about macroeconomic policy or trending social gossip, but about a reality that's unfolding right now—a reality few are willing to face.

Gen Z is flooding into the cryptocurrency market, and it's not about "belief" or "trends." To put it bluntly, exorbitant housing prices have backed them into a corner and forced them to adopt an entirely new survival logic: since the traditional life script no longer works, they might as well flip the table and start over.

A survey by the Financial Times spells it out: the fact that "buying a house is impossible" has completely changed the strategy for young Americans.

Save money? By the time they've saved enough for a down payment, their hair will be gray. Work harder? Wage increases will never keep up with rising home prices. Traditional financial products? The returns are laughable. Buying a home? It has shifted from a "life goal" to a "luxury."

So their reaction is direct: savings are dwindling, motivation to work is declining, and speculative behavior is on the rise—especially pouring money into the crypto market.

This isn't blind following; it's called "economic nihilism." If playing by the old rules guarantees losing, then why not try a different game for a change?

**Why are young people being pushed into the crypto market?**

Because in their eyes, "taking a gamble that might pay off" seems more like a real opportunity than "scrimping and saving for ten years."

The survey exposes a painful mental calculation: if saving diligently for ten years still won't add up to a down payment, they'd rather throw their money into assets that might double in three days.

The traditional incentive mechanisms of financial management simply don't work for this generation—

2% interest on bank deposits? 7% long-term annualized return from funds and stocks? Yet home prices are rising 10%-20% per year at minimum?

Do the math for a 25-year-old: at the current rate of wage growth, by the time they're 40, they still might not have enough for a down payment. The time cost is too high, and the opportunity cost is even higher.

So their logic is simple: instead of putting money into "safe assets" that slowly depreciate, it's better to invest in the volatile but promising crypto market—at least the latter offers a chance to change their fate.

This isn't impulsiveness; it's rational calculation forced by reality.