Gen Z Opts Out of Web3 Hype for Stable Careers

Gen Z professionals are reassessing Web3 careers amid high crypto volatility and uncertain project lifecycles. Wang Yue, a former VC intern turned Web3 employee, quit in mid-2023 to launch a foreign-trade business citing more predictable revenue streams. “My crypto trading skills aren’t reliable,” he noted. At Zhejiang University, blockchain enthusiast Peach bypassed full-time Web3 roles for a civil servant post, treating crypto investing as a side activity. Others, like Da He, combine a Web3 job with day-trading, planning to secure stable public-sector roles before market downturns. These stories illustrate a Gen Z shift from speculative Web3 to stable career paths. Idealistic visions of “changing the world” collide with market reality as young traders face frequent project failures and extreme price swings. The result is a pragmatic balance: use crypto trading for extra gains, while prioritizing predictable, low-risk careers. This trend could temper Web3 hiring and speculative trading volumes, prompting projects to emphasize tangible value and long-term sustainability.
Neutral
This human-interest report is unlikely to trigger significant crypto price movements on its own. It highlights Gen Z’s growing caution toward speculative Web3 roles and trading amid volatility. In the short term, reduced enthusiasm may translate to lower trading volumes and hiring freezes in some startups. However, crypto’s broader market drivers—protocol upgrades, macroeconomic trends, institutional adoption—remain unaffected, balancing out the impact. In the long term, a shift toward value-driven projects and stable career-backed traders could improve market resilience and reduce extreme boom-bust cycles. Similar cautionary waves after the 2018 ICO crash led to more prudent investing, ultimately stabilizing market dynamics.