EU crypto investors rank digital assets above retirement plans in OKX survey

What happened

Crypto-experienced investors in five countries see digital assets, rather than retirement plans, as a route to lasting wealth in Europe, while US respondents lean the other way, according to an OKX survey published on Oct. 29, 2026. Pollfish polled 1,932 adults aged 18 to 88 in the US, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland between Oct. 14 and Oct. 18.

In Europe, 19% chose cryptocurrencies as the asset most associated with lasting wealth, compared with 8% who chose traditional retirement plans, Cointelegraph reported. In the US, retirement accounts drew 21% and crypto drew 12%, Crypto.news reported. That gave crypto an 11-point lead in Europe and retirement savings a nine-point lead in the US.

Real estate topped the full sample, with 34% naming land or property as the asset most linked to lasting wealth. Among Generation Z, crypto was the most popular individual asset, with nearly a quarter selecting digital assets, according to Crypto.news.

Nearly half of European investors, 47%, expected to increase their crypto holdings, including 13% planning a significant increase. Across all age groups, 51% expected to raise their allocation, about 34% expected no change and 13% expected to cut exposure or leave the market.

Why it matters

The findings add a European angle to the debate over crypto's role in long-term savings, a question that has gained prominence as US policymakers consider broader access to alternative assets in 401(k) plans. They also suggest that investors who already hold crypto are folding it into their thinking about wealth building, even as other surveys show caution about crypto in workplace retirement plans.

OKX Europe's CEO said the results show that investors under 45 on both sides of the Atlantic now treat crypto as part of their long-term finances, and he expected crypto's role to grow as those investors age and accumulate assets, Cointelegraph reported. That contrasts with skepticism among older investors.

What the data shows

The OKX results describe people who had previously invested in crypto, not the general population. Participants were asked which assets they associated with lasting wealth, a different measure from actual portfolio allocations. Crypto.news reported that the survey did not establish that European investors were abandoning pension contributions or replacing retirement savings with crypto.

On future intentions, 55% of US respondents expected to increase their crypto allocation, including 22% planning a significant increase. Nearly two-thirds of respondents younger than 45 expected to add crypto, and more than 80% considered digital assets at least somewhat important for generational wealth. Boomers were more cautious: 55% said crypto was not important for generational wealth, and US boomers were more negative than European ones, at 65% versus 44% calling it not at all important.

An August survey by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 77% of Americans considered crypto investments in workplace retirement plans risky, including 46% who viewed them as very risky, according to both reports. Crypto.news said 53% opposed crypto in workplace retirement plans.

Background

The survey comes amid a changing US policy landscape. In May 2025, the Department of Labor withdrew crypto-specific guidance that had urged 401(k) fiduciaries to be extremely cautious about crypto investments, returning to a neutral approach. In August 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to expand access to alternative assets in 401(k) plans, including digital assets through certain investment vehicles.

In March 2026, the Labor Department issued a draft proposal to broaden 401(k) options to include crypto and alternative investments. In June 2026, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Representative Bobby Scott urged the department to withdraw it, arguing it would expose retirement accounts to highly volatile assets such as digital currency, Cointelegraph reported.

Separately, a May 2026 survey by Friends of Europe's citizen-engagement unit, Debating Europe, found that about 43% of 2,000 Europeans aged 18 to 35 expected their pensions to fall short. Crypto.news noted that the study covered a different population from OKX's poll, so the figures do not establish a direct link between pension concerns and crypto investment.

What is still unclear

The survey does not show whether Europeans are moving money away from pensions or simply adding crypto alongside other assets. Because respondents were already crypto investors, the results may not reflect the views of the wider European or US populations. The reports also did not provide a margin of error or a full country-by-country breakdown.

What to watch

Attention now turns to whether the US Labor Department's draft 401(k) proposal advances, stalls or is withdrawn after the objections from lawmakers. How regulators in Europe treat crypto in long-term savings products, and whether younger investors follow through on stated plans to increase allocations, will also shape the next round of surveys.

OKX's findings are a snapshot of sentiment among existing crypto investors; future research tracking actual allocations would give a clearer picture.

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