A creator economy meets finance

At Consensus 2026 in Hong Kong, Tom Lee, chairman of BitMine and well known market strategist, said that MrBeast’s entry into financial services could have far reaching consequences.

According to Lee, the YouTube star’s reported involvement in acquiring neobank Step positions him to become a gateway for younger users into investing and crypto. He compared the potential impact to what Charles Schwab and Robinhood achieved for earlier generations of retail investors.

The argument is simple. Attention drives adoption. And few people command more attention from Gen Z and younger millennials than MrBeast.

Why Step matters

Step is a US focused digital banking platform that primarily targets teenagers and young adults. It offers debit cards, financial education tools, and app based money management designed for first time earners and spenders.

If integrated with crypto services or investment products, Step could become a natural onboarding funnel. Young users already comfortable with digital payments may be more open to tokenized assets or crypto trading inside a familiar interface.

Lee suggested that combining influence with financial infrastructure could accelerate adoption faster than traditional banks ever could.

The Robinhood parallel

Robinhood succeeded by simplifying investing and removing traditional barriers like trading fees. It created a cultural shift by making investing feel accessible and mobile native.

Lee believes MrBeast could replicate that dynamic for crypto. With a built in audience of hundreds of millions globally, a finance product attached to his brand could scale distribution instantly.

The key difference is that this generation consumes content first and financial products second. The bridge between entertainment and finance is narrower than ever.

Crypto as the natural next layer

Lee also noted that younger investors are less attached to legacy financial institutions. Many entered markets through apps rather than banks. That behavioral shift creates space for hybrid platforms that blend payments, investing, and digital assets.

If Step evolves beyond simple banking and integrates crypto rails, it could become a seamless path into digital assets without the intimidation factor of traditional exchanges.

That possibility is what makes the move strategically interesting.

Risks remain

Turning social influence into regulated financial services is not straightforward.

Financial products face compliance requirements, regulatory scrutiny, and capital rules that do not apply to content platforms. Execution, licensing, and trust will determine whether the project becomes transformative or simply a branding experiment.

Still, the concept highlights a broader theme. The next wave of financial adoption may be led by creators, not bankers.

A generational shift in financial gateways

Lee’s comments reflect a growing belief that financial onboarding is evolving. The institutions that capture the next generation may not look like traditional brokerages.

They may look like media brands with financial layers built in.

If that thesis plays out, MrBeast’s move into fintech could be remembered as more than a celebrity experiment. It could mark a structural shift in how young investors discover markets.