Why MarketWise Stock Could Benefit From The Shift To Self Directed Investing

Gen Z is stuck renting, juggling student loans, and watching housing slip further out of reach, yet their money is flowing somewhere. That cash is increasingly landing in brokerage accounts, trading apps, and digital portfolios, which reshapes who controls the next wave of capital. This piece explores how that shift might affect three U.S. retail investing platforms and why their exposure to this trend could matter for your watchlist.

The stocks covered below are only a small slice of the U.S. retail investing theme, and the full screen surfaced 25 more brokerage, trading app, and wealth platforms with similarly detailed stories that are not in this article. To see the wider field and start ranking potential opportunities for your own watchlist, head straight into the U.S. Retail Investing & Brokerage Platforms screener

MarketWise (MKTW)

MarketWise runs a multi-brand content and technology platform for self-directed investors, aligned with the retail investing theme. It generated about US$318 million from internet information services such as research, tools, and education subscriptions, and has a market cap near US$284 million.

MarketWise connects with the Gen Z shift toward brokerage apps by selling research, education, and screeners that support self-directed trading. The platform is closely tied to retail capital flows, which can be a strength if engagement builds and if one unseen pressure around how younger investors spend their limited surplus cash changes.

If that retail cash really does keep shifting toward tools and research, the 4 key rewards and 3 important warning signs (1 is major!) could identify where MarketWise might be quietly decoupling from peers.

Bitgo Holdings (BTGO)

Bitgo Holdings plugs into the U.S. Retail Investing & Brokerage Platforms theme through its crypto custody and trading rails that many retail-facing platforms rely on in the background.

Bitgo Holdings runs digital asset infrastructure for wallets, custody and trading connectivity, earning about US$20.1b from security software and services across institutional and platform clients. The business has a market cap near US$691 million, reflecting a mid-cap profile within crypto infrastructure.

For investors watching how retail trading bleeds into crypto, Bitgo sits where institutional plumbing meets user-facing apps. This makes its execution on new products and partnerships worth tracking.

"Although regulatory frameworks such as the GENIUS Act and OCC charter give Bitgo access to a wider addressable market, the time it takes for follow on rulemaking, state level frictions and client compliance build outs may slow the ramp in subscriptions, services and custody related revenue."

The real swing factor is how quickly one emerging pocket of digital asset demand actually converts into high quality, repeatable fee income.

That conversion risk sits at the core of the story, and the full narrative for Bitgo Holdings explains how Bitgo could turn that tension into accelerating, stickier fee streams.

XP (XP)

XP runs a Brazil-focused investing platform that looks a lot like the brokerages and trading apps in this U.S.-centric screener, offering a way to think about Gen Z-style market participation through a different geography.

XP provides a broad investment and wealth platform in Brazil, earning about R$18.6b from brokerage activities and carrying a market value near US$14.8b.

"The rapid client migration away from traditional banking to digital and tech-first investment platforms remains underappreciated, with XP's multi-channel ecosystem (IFA, internal advisers, RIAs) positioned to capture significant share; this channel diversification and platform stickiness could affect net new money inflows and revenue trends over time."

What happens to XP’s earnings power depends heavily on how one emerging pressure around fees and funding costs is resolved over the coming years.

That fee pressure could cut both ways, and the full narrative for XP lays out how XP might turn it into accelerating client assets and deeper platform loyalty.

Seeking Alternatives Before Everyone Else?

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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