From Crypto to Humanoids: How AI Connects the Dots

[Derrick]

When Bitcoin crossed the $100,000 mark in 2025, many expected mainstream adoption to follow. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have flooded institutional portfolios, corporations are stacking digital assets on balance sheets, and Ethereum recently hit record highs. Yet, according to Morgan Stanley’s latest intern survey, the next generation of financial professionals is still hesitant: only 18% of interns reported owning or using cryptocurrencies.

This contradiction highlights an important insight — price doesn’t equal adoption.

 

The “Still Early” Reality
The phrase “we are still early” has long been a mantra within the crypto community. The survey results reinforce this. While crypto has broken through institutional barriers, personal adoption lags. A majority (55%) of interns remain indifferent toward digital assets, even as Wall Street builds products and infrastructure around them. Adoption is growing — but slowly, incrementally, and often behind the scenes.

The lesson here is that market infrastructure can advance faster than user behavior. Just because ETFs exist and corporations hold BTC doesn’t mean individuals are ready to leap in. For crypto, mainstream adoption remains less about headlines and more about cultural and generational shifts.

 

AI: A Contrast in Adoption
If crypto adoption is crawling, AI is sprinting. The same interns overwhelmingly use AI tools — 96% in the U.S. and 91% in Europe. They view AI as effective, time-saving, and easy to use, though most agree accuracy must improve. The near-universal embrace of AI suggests that technologies with clear, immediate utility achieve faster buy-in than those driven by speculation or long-term narratives.

The takeaway? Utility accelerates adoption. AI is embedded in daily workflows, while crypto remains, for many, a distant investment option.

 

Humanoids: Interest with Caution
Interns also showed curiosity toward humanoid robotics, with over 60% interested in having one at home. Yet optimism is tempered by social concerns. While most see humanoids as useful and inevitable, only a minority believe they will positively impact society. Here lies another insight — enthusiasm doesn’t erase skepticism. The technology may be exciting, but its societal implications weigh heavily on perception.

 

Connecting the Dots
Crypto, AI, and humanoids sit at different points along the adoption curve.

Crypto: Infrastructure built, culture lagging.
AI: Ubiquitous, useful, and rapidly normalized.
Humanoids: Anticipated but viewed with caution.

The broader insight is this: adoption is about trust, perception, and cultural readiness. AI shows what happens when technology fits seamlessly into daily life. Crypto shows what happens when innovation outpaces social comfort. Humanoids remind us that even groundbreaking tech will be judged not just by its capabilities but by its impact on humanity.

“We are still early” may be truer than ever — not just for crypto, but for every technology redefining finance and society.