India's Gen Z turns to crypto as gateway to investing, WazirX data shows

India's Gen Z is entering financial markets earlier and increasingly using cryptocurrency as a gateway to investing, while showing a preference for diversified portfolios and a willingness to stay invested through market volatility, data from crypto exchange WazirX showed. Nearly 44.4 per cent of Gen Z investors on the platform began their investment journey through crypto, suggesting that a large share of young investors are entering financial markets through digital assets rather than adding crypto to established portfolios. The median age of Gen Z investors on WazirX is 25, while the generation accounted for 72 per cent of all new investors on the platform in the first half of 2026. Gen Z also made up 32.1 per cent of active traders, the company said. The trend is spreading beyond India's largest cities. Nearly 80 per cent of WazirX's Gen Z users come from outside the country's top 10 cities, highlighting the growing participation of investors from Tier-2 and Tier-3 centres. Mumb