The short
- Market: Longevity economy crosses $500 billion globally in 2025.
- Trend: Shift from clinical anti-aging to consumer self-optimization.
- Drivers: Wearables, GLP-1 drugs, sleep tech, and peptide therapies.
- Critic: “We’ve monetized mortality anxiety,” says one biotech CEO.
- Emotion: Everyone wants to live longer — but no one wants to age trying.
The billion nights that changed sleep
Wearables have quietly turned into the world’s largest sleep lab. Over a billion nights of aggregated data from smartwatches and rings now power models that correlate REM cycles with screen time, light exposure, and even temperature shifts.
That data is gold: companies like Oura and Whoop now sell anonymized insights to insurers and wellness programs, turning rest into a data asset.
The new age diet
Longevity supplements have moved from pharmacies to startup storefronts. Peptide blends that once required lab access now arrive via subscription kits. The pitch? Balance hormones, boost recovery, and “reverse biological age” by measurable years.
| Therapy | Avg Cost / Mo (USD) | Reported Efficacy (%) | Adoption Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peptide stacks | 280 | 60 | Rising |
| GLP-1 longevity doses | 450 | 70 | Stable |
| DNA methylation clocks | 150 | 50 | Rapid growth |
| Cold exposure + sauna combo | 90 | 45 | High urban adoption |
The new face of aging
In 2025, aging isn’t about wrinkles — it’s about “energy metrics.” The language has shifted from vanity to vitality. Clinics sell “cellular performance” programs, and patients talk about mitochondria like they once did moisturizers.
Luxury spas are becoming data clinics. The new status symbol: your biological age certificate framed beside your treadmill.
The paradox of endless youth
But there’s a darker current: the pursuit of immortality without meaning. Psychologists warn that constant self-optimization feeds anxiety rather than health. When the metric becomes identity, the human story shrinks.
“The healthiest people I see,” says one clinician, “are the ones who sometimes forget their watch.”
What to watch
- Longevity ETFs and SPACs entering 2026 pipeline.
- Regulators debating “biological age” as a medical claim.
- Wearable-to-clinic data integration and consent rules tightening.
In chasing youth, the world found a new kind of time economy — one that sells tomorrow, today.