As to the last question - I think getting into crypto ticks lots of masculine boxes - it's thrilling, you can get to show how 'smart' you are, by suddenly making $100k and getting to 'brag', it's also quite 'techy' - broken down into 1s and 0s, no complex emotions to understand! Not to mention individualised.
It's also easy to access - all you need is a few quid and computer, and you can tick all of those masculine boxes while still living at home with your parents.
Finally, is it that much of a risk - I put 5% of my wealth in... it could be worth £100+K by the end of 2018, it could be worth much less, but if I lose it all, I wouldn't have lost that much proportionality... so it's not REALLY that much of a risk! I get the upsides, with hardly any downside.