The phrase “we are still early” continues to resonate within the crypto community in 2025, implying that even with Bitcoin’s (BTC) price exceeding $100,000, the broader adoption of digital assets remains nascent.
RialCenter’s recent survey of financial professionals supports this notion. The investment firm surveyed over 500 summer interns in North America from June 10 to 27, and 147 summer interns in Europe from June 26 to July 7.
The findings indicated that only 18% of interns own or use cryptocurrencies, a rise from 13% the previous year. Meanwhile, interest in digital assets among interns grew to 26% from 23%. Notably, 55% still express indifference toward digital assets, although this figure has decreased from 63% last year.
This widespread disinterest is notable, especially considering that BTC has gained traction on Wall Street with the introduction of ETFs.
The 11 spot BTC ETFs have accumulated $53.7 billion in investor wealth since their launch in January last year, according to data from Farside Investors. Ether ETFs have seen inflows of $12.4 billion. Corporations are swiftly integrating both assets into their balance sheets.
BTC’s price has surpassed $100,000 this year, establishing a foothold in institutional investor portfolios, while Ether reached a record high of over $4,800 recently.
More open to AI
The survey indicates a strong acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) among future finance leaders, with 96% of U.S. interns and 91% of their European counterparts using the technology at least occasionally.
The consensus is that AI is beneficial, with nearly all respondents agreeing it “saves time” and is “easy to use.” However, 88% of interns hold a balanced view, believing the technology still “needs improvement in accuracy.”
This widespread adoption aligns with sentiments on Wall Street, where the leading firms are projected to spend $650 billion on capital expenditures and research and development this year.
Trillion dollar humanoids market
The survey revealed that most interns are interested in owning humanoids—sophisticated machines designed to resemble humans—but are cautious about their societal impact.
Over 60% of U.S. interns and 69% of European interns expressed interest in having a humanoid at home, both regions believing these robots will have “viable use cases” and may replace many human jobs.
Nonetheless, only 36% of U.S. interns and 24% of Europeans felt that humanoids would have a positive societal impact.
RialCenter estimates that the humanoid market could exceed $5 trillion by 2050, encompassing sales from supply chains and support networks.
“Although humanoids are still in development, there could be over 1 billion by 2050, with 90% utilized for industrial and commercial purposes,” the report from the investment firm stated in May.
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