Stock vs. Crypto Investment: Which Is More Profitable? Experts Weigh In
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Investing, whether in stocks, crypto, or commodities, should be started at a young age. There are many benefits to be gained from this strategy, ranging from accelerating the achievement of financial freedom to fighting the threat of inflation that erodes income.
In stocks, investors can obtain tempting returns. For example, the capital gain on shares of PT Barito Renewables Energy Tbk (BREN) from its IPO in 2023 to the present has reached 296%, or 98% per year. This stock return has far exceeded the average inflation rate of the last 10 years, which was only 2.8% per year, even when it peaked at 4.21% in 2022.
Crypto asset investment is also alluring. As an illustration, the price of Bitcoin in 2010 was only Rp73 and has now touched Rp1.1 billion per coin. Returns on commodity investments, such as XAUUSD, are also substantial provided one understands the risks. It is the nature of futures transactions to provide large profits commensurate with the risk.
In line with this, financial literacy among the younger generation, especially university students, must be intensified. The reality is that the financial literacy of this next generation remains low. Consequently, many young people, instead of investing, are trapped by online gambling.
From an early age, the younger generation must learn to invest. In this way, they can avoid the snare of online gambling and begin to recognise, and even try, investing in various legal instruments.
Vier Abdul Jamal, Commissioner of Aldicitra Sekuritas, said that learning to invest needs to be done from a young age because time is the greatest asset that cannot be bought back. He stressed that there are several benefits to be gained from investing at a young age. First, financial freedom can be achieved more quickly compared to those who start at a mature age. Second, investment profits will continue to grow over time. Essentially, the longer the investment period, the larger the final result can grow, even if the initial capital is small.
Third, it trains a long-term mindset. Learning to invest makes people more disciplined, less consumptive, think strategically, and understand risks and opportunities. Fourth, it fights inflation. The principle is that the value of money continues to decline each year due to inflation. This means that if money is just kept without growing, the owner’s purchasing power weakens. Fifth, it provides the opportunity to learn from mistakes. In essence, small mistakes today can become valuable experience for the future. Sixth, he explained, one can build productive assets earlier. The principle is that productive assets work for us, generating money even while we sleep.
He added that there is a major difference in investment culture between Indonesia and the United States or Europe. In the US and Europe, investment is considered a life necessity, not a choice. Many young people start investing in their 20s, focusing on wealth growth over 10 to 30 years. “In Indonesia, a small decline often triggers panic. Many new investors sell when prices fall and buy when prices rise,” he said.
Domestically, many investors are tempted by get-rich-quick schemes, daily trading, and high speculation. Many investors are short-term oriented. In fact, he noted, modern investment culture continues to develop. Unfortunately, the level of literacy and capital market participation is still lower compared to Western countries.
Besides stocks, he stated that there are several investment instruments that the younger generation can explore, ranging from commodities like XAUUSD or USOIL to crypto assets.
Similarly, Pintu President Director Andy Putra advised students to immediately start legal investing and not fall into the trap of online gambling. It is better to place funds in legal instruments, from stocks to crypto assets. He stressed that the prospects for crypto investment remain promising. As an illustration, the price of Bitcoin (BTC) in 2010 was only Rp73, whereas now it is Rp1.1 billion. “This means that people who have held BTC since 2010 definitely hit the jackpot,” he said.
Moreover, he said, crypto has been regulated by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) since 2025. These transactions are free of VAT when buying and are only subject to final VAT when selling. He stated that crypto is the favourite financial asset of the younger generation. Based on a survey, 60% of crypto investors are aged 18-34 years. Young people, he said, like crypto because it is dynamic, with transactions possible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means the crypto market never sleeps. The capital required for crypto is also not large, with a minimum of Rp11,000, which is suitable for young people.
Looking ahead, he stated that crypto is the future of global finance. For example, the US has been pushing stablecoins to strengthen the dollar. Crypto has also touched the business world. “For example, property projects can now be tokenised. This opens the way for crypto investors to become something like shareholders in a project,” he said. Crypto transactions in Indonesia, he noted, are also quite large. Last year, the value reached Rp480 trillion.
Meanwhile, Capital Market Profession Assessor B. Hari Mantoro explained that investment must be done as early as possible because cash funds will be impacted by inflation. Conversely, investment maintains purchasing power, with yields higher than saving. He stated that the real impact of the decline in currency value is strongly felt in the prices of basic and tertiary goods around us. For example, in 1991, a Toyota Kijang Super Chassis could be taken home for only Rp24.5 million. However, 34 years later, in 2026, the price of its successor model, the Innova Zenix, has soared to Rp438 million, a fantastic increase of 17.8 times. “Therefore, to maintain purchasing power, the generation is urged to immediately switch from a saving culture to an investing culture,” Hari explained.
On the other hand, BNI Director of Human Capital & Compliance Mucharom said that financial literacy is a strong foundation for the financial well-being of society. The results of the OJK’s 2022 survey show that the literacy index