XRP adoption remains sluggish among young finance professionals, even as the crypto sector gains mainstream traction across markets in 2025. A recent Morgan Stanley intern survey underlines the disparity between enthusiasm for digital assets like XRP and the overwhelming interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robotics.

Crypto Interest Remains Tepid Among Interns

According to Morgan Stanley’s 2025 intern survey, the phrase “we are still early” continues to reflect reality for crypto adoption. Despite Bitcoin (BTC) breaking past the $100,000 milestone and Ethereum (ETH) hitting record highs, only a small portion of finance interns expressed meaningful engagement with cryptocurrencies—including XRP.

The survey included feedback from over 500 North American interns and 147 European interns, conducted in late June and early July. The findings? Just 18% of respondents actually own or use cryptocurrencies, up from 13% the previous year. Interest in digital assets like XRP rose marginally to 26%, while 55% claimed they remain indifferent—a slight improvement from last year’s 63%.

This apathy stands out, especially given the growing Wall Street embrace of crypto via institutional products. The launch of 11 spot BTC ETFs in January last year has drawn a cumulative $53.7 billion in assets under management, according to data from Farside Investors. Ether-based ETFs bring in another $12.4 billion, and corporate holdings of both assets continue to rise.

While XRP was not specifically highlighted in the report, the broader trend suggests that Ripple’s token faces similar reluctance among new finance entrants, despite forming part of discussions around real-time payments and blockchain-based finance infrastructure.

AI introduction featured in Morgan Stanley intern training session, reinforcing strong interest in emerging tech over crypto.

AI Surges Ahead as Favorite Emerging Technology

In contrast, AI appears to be dominating the minds of the next generation of financial professionals. A staggering 96% of U.S. interns and 91% of European interns reported regular usage of AI tools and platforms. Most viewed it positively, saying AI “saves time” and is “easy to use.” However, 88% of respondents also noted that AI technologies still require accuracy improvements.

This surge in AI enthusiasm mirrors expectations across Wall Street, where major tech stocks—often referred to as the Magnificent Seven—are driving an estimated $650 billion in combined capital expenditure and R&D investment this year alone.

By comparison, cryptocurrencies like XRP face a real challenge in competing for mindshare, even as they serve vital roles in cross-border payments and decentralized finance infrastructures.

Growing Fascination With Humanoids

Another surprising takeaway from the survey was the interns’ interest in humanoid robotics. Over 60% of U.S. interns and 69% of European peers said they would like to have a humanoid robot at home. Most foresee tangible use cases and the eventual replacement of human labor in various industries. However, only 36% of U.S. interns and 24% of Europeans see them having a positive societal impact overall.

Morgan Stanley projects that the humanoid market could exceed $5 trillion by 2050. This includes revenue from supply chains, servicing networks, and enterprise applications. Their May report estimated that more than one billion humanoids could be in operation by 2050—primarily for industrial or commercial use, not unlike how businesses are exploring blockchain platforms like RippleNet, which uses XRP as an on-chain liquidity token.

Related: XRP Price: $12M Max Pain for Bears

For XRP, climbing that adoption curve means overcoming these tech distractions and differentiating itself as an essential layer in a decentralized financial system—an uphill battle, given the cognitive real estate being captured by AI and robotics narratives.