Forget Gold, Venture Capitalist Claims Pokémon Cards Will Be the Post-Apocalyptic Currency
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Venture capitalist Pete Levin argues that Pokémon cards will replace traditional money after an apocalypse, pointing to massive market growth and standardized grading. Meanwhile, retailers are cracking down on scalpers as real world card scarcity intensifies.
Griffin Gaming Partners founder Pete Levin recently made the bold claim that Pokémon cards would instantly become the global currency if society ever suffered a total collapse. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Levin pointed to the massive scale of the franchise and noted that the cards have historically beaten the S&P 500 by incredible margins. As someone managing billions in gaming assets with a personal collection of half a million cards, his prediction comes with a clear financial bias, but he is hardly alone in recognizing the sheer resilience of collectible gaming economies.
Levin highlighted several factors driving this relentless market growth, including the booming adult collector demographic and the standardization provided by grading services like PSA. When authentication and condition are locked in by professionals, physical cards function much like digital assets with provable scarcity. This crossover between nostalgia and high stakes finance has turned cardboard into a serious investment class, appealing to Millennials and Gen Z collectors who now wield serious disposable income.
Of course, treating cardboard like gold bullion comes with real world complications for everyday players. Retailers like Target have resorted to slicing open boxes to deter scalpers, while shops in Japan are using facial recognition to limit daily purchases and curb rampant hoarding. Even with The Pokémon Company printing roughly 10 billion cards last year alone, demand constantly outstrips supply, proving that the scramble for rare pulls is just as intense on the streets as it is in the portfolio.
IGN South Africa originally reported these insights, highlighting a fascinating intersection where gaming culture meets high finance. Whether you are hunting for rare holos to complete a binder or treating your collection as a tangible store of value, the sheer staying power of pocket monsters is undeniable.
Tags: Pokemon, Trading Card Games, Gaming Industry, Collectibles
Original article: IGN South Africa