Crypto Pays Off for One Couple—But Experts Urge Caution

In this CNBC profile, we meet Sebastian and Julia Marquez, a young Canadian couple who built much of their million-dollar net worth from putting 10% of their assets into bitcoin and ethereum in their early 20s—a gamble Sebastian admits he was “very worried about” at the time. With crypto returns soaring thousands of percent, it worked out—but as Sebastian reflects, “I most likely wouldn’t have made that investment” in hindsight, highlighting how nerve-wracking and uncertain this path can be. Now, the couple focuses new savings on more predictable investments like index funds, and plans to simply “hold” their crypto windfall rather than double down.

This measured approach is exactly what I encourage for clients and what CNBC quoted me on in the article. Unlike stocks, cryptocurrencies have no underlying asset, don’t produce dividends, and see wild price swings. While nearly half of Gen Z investors now own crypto, I tell clients it should never exceed 5% of your investment portfolio. Crypto’s place is as a speculative side bet, not a foundation for building real financial security.

In short, even when the gamble works, the story shouldn’t be “jump in with both feet.” As I put it, holding a small amount for fun is fine if you can stomach the rollercoaster, but true financial confidence comes from broad diversification and investments that actually put your money to work. No windfall replaces a solid, well-built plan that lets you sleep at night.