Tech Talks The Cost of Waiting: Why Gen Z is Forcing Legacy Finance to Move On-Chain
Nov 10, 2025
Nancy Beaton, President of Uphold, shares her insights on the urgent need for traditional finance to adapt to the digital landscape. She emphasizes how Gen Z’s expectations for instant, borderless financial services are reshaping the industry. With over 300 tokens available, Uphold’s API enables swift transitions to on-chain solutions for banks and fintechs. Nancy also discusses Bitcoin as a superior savings technology and stresses the importance of legacy firms acting fast to avoid being left behind in the crypto revolution.
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Kids Demand Crypto Early
- Nancy Beaton describes her children as digital-first and already using Bitcoin.
- Her 13-year-old asked for $50/month in Bitcoin as a Christmas gift, showing early crypto adoption.
Generational Pressure Outpaces Regulation
- Generational expectation, not regulation, is the key pressure on finance today.
- Younger users expect instant, borderless, 24/7 financial tools, forcing legacy change.
Uphold's API-First Platform
- Uphold is a 12-year-old, fully API'd trading venue known for its retail wallet and platform.
- Its platform enables businesses to expose crypto features through APIs rather than building from scratch.