Is Gen Z cooked: An investment guide for Gen Z

Every generation has its go-to asset.

For your grandparents, it was fixed deposits, earning a rock-solid 15% returns.
Your parents swore by gold and real estate. This is back when land was cheap and 24k was sold at local grocery shops (okay, that was an exaggeration)

Millennials? They rode the equity wave, throwing SIPs on 1st of every month.

Now it’s your turn!
You’re earning your first salary. Scrolling through apps that give you access to every asset class imaginable. Stocks. Crypto. Bonds. Art. Real estate tokens. Banana futures, maybe?

But each of them comes with a caveat. A risk. A red flag. Something that makes you pause.

So, what now?

Should you even invest as a Gen Z?

I recently had a word with a cousin who has just entered the workforce.

I asked him about investment and his response was hilarious. He told me that our generation (and the previous) invested because we didn’t have anything fun to spend on!

You can’t argue with that logic, can you?

I sort of agree with him but there are some glaring reasons why GenZ s should definitely invest. Here is a quick rundown.

1. Time

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z isn’t entering adulthood carrying the weight of EMIs, joint families, or urgent retirement plans for their parents.
Their parents handled their own financial well-being pretty decently.

Which means: Gen Z gets a rare luxury. Time.

The kind of time millennials wish they had when compounding finally made sense to them.
Even modest investments today can snowball into serious wealth tomorrow.

2. Diversification Pro Max

Gen Z isn’t limited to buying physical gold or opening a demat account with a broker who still calls you before buying/selling.

From real estate to REITs, stocks to ETFs, digital gold to gold-backed tokens, if there’s an asset class, there’s an app for it.

You don’t just invest anymore. You customize your portfolio.

3. Invest or Die

Back in the day, your grandparents earned 14–15% on fixed deposits.

Today? Leave your money idle in a savings account, and it quietly loses 6–7% a year.
That’s erosion of finances.

In a world where everything from coffee to cab rides gets costlier every quarter, not investing is the fastest way to fall behind.

But Where?

This is the part where the topic of this post makes much more sense.

You are not cooked because of lack of information but the overload of it.

You’ve got a hundred YouTube bros screaming “multibagger!” in your left ear, and thousands Instagram finfluencers selling you “the next big thing” in your right.

Call me old school, but there is a saying I have always lived by:

When in doubt, zoom out!Tweet

As Radhika Gupta says, stick to dal chawal funds. The term is a metaphor for a simple, reliable, and consistent investment strategy, much like the staple Indian meal of dal and rice.

I would like to extrapolate the Dal Chawal here a bit though.

Much like how chefs pick an Indian household dish and try to “elevate” its taste.

What if I told you that you could stick to the most basic Dal Chawal out there but amped up in utility using Blockchain. Yes. The same tech that powers crypto. But minus the volatility.

I am referring to the age old hedge against inflation and volatility – Gold.

Gold is the Dal Chawal of investing.
It’s been around forever. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t trend.
But when the market throws tantrums — gold doesn’t panic. It stabilizes.

Historically, it’s been a go-to during uncertain times.

Currency crashing? Gold holds.

Stock market dipping? Gold holds.

Crypto melting down on a random Tuesday? Gold… still holds.

It’s the one asset your parents will never question.

But I am not buying gold bars: Paxos Gold to the rescue

Of course you’re not. You are not getting married anytime soon.

No vaults, no jewellers, no purity tests.

What you need is gold that fits in your portfolio — and your lifestyle.

Enter: Paxos Gold (PAXG).

What is Paxos Gold?

Paxos Gold is what happens when gold meets code.
It’s a blockchain-based token, backed 1:1 by real, physical gold stored in secure vaults in London.

Every PAXG token = ownership of actual, allocated gold.
Yes, real gold. The kind you can redeem if you ever feel the need to hold it in your hand like a Bond villain.

But unlike traditional gold, it’s:

Stable: Pegged to the price of gold, without crypto-level mood swings.

Fractional: Start with as little as ₹500.

Liquid: Buy, sell, or transfer anytime. No waiting, no lock-ins.

Portable: No locker needed. Just your phone.

Transparent: Fully regulated and verifiable on-chain.

Why PAXG Makes Sense for Gen Z

Because you want trust without tradition.
Tech without turbulence.
Growth without gambling.

You want assets that don’t demand your constant attention but still deliver quiet compounding in the background. PAXG gives you that — the peace of gold, with the power of digital.

It’s the elevated Dal Chawal of modern investing:
Familiar, nourishing, and now, a lot more functional.

But isn’t that SGB with extra steps?

If you are asking such questions, congratulations, you have made it in life.

And answer to your question is, well, no!

Blockchain backed assets (be it gold or something else) have one feature that stands out! Trust.

In July 2024, the Indian government reduced the import duty on gold from 15% to 6%. This policy change led to a significant drop in domestic gold prices—approximately 5%—which directly impacted the redemption value of SGBs maturing around that time. For instance, the SGBs issued in August 2016 were redeemed at ₹6,938 per gram, which was about 4.5% lower than the average price before the duty cut.

This sudden policy shift highlighted a vulnerability in SGBs: their redemption value is tied to the prevailing gold price, which can be influenced by government policies and international market dynamics. In contrast, PAXG holders experienced real-time price adjustments, allowing for more agile investment decisions.

At a granular level, here’s how they compare:

To summarize:

If you’ve made it this far, chances are you’re already thinking smarter than most.

No one’s asking you to YOLO your salary into gold. But maybe—just maybe—it’s time to give your portfolio a stable foundation.

Explore Paxos Gold (PAXG) on AscendEx exchange.
Start small. Watch how it behaves.
And remember: investing isn’t about timing the market. It’s about spending less time worrying once you’ve made a smart call.

Dal Chawal never felt this future-ready.