According to Cointelegraph, viewership of cryptocurrency-related content on YouTube has plummeted to its lowest level since January 2021, following a significant decline over the past three months. On Sunday, ITC Crypto founder Benjamin Cowen shared a 30-day moving average of views across various crypto YouTube channels, highlighting the drop. He noted that the decline is not limited to YouTube, as similar engagement falls have been observed across crypto channels on the microblogging platform X. Crypto YouTuber Tom Crown commented that the decline has been noticeable since October, emphasizing that the market has been in a 'bear market' since 2021, never reaching previous highs.
Bitcoin investor Polaris XBT remarked that the current levels of social interest are akin to bear market conditions. This trend supports the notion that institutions have been the primary drivers of the market cycle, with retail investors taking a back seat. YouTube content creator Jesus Martinez echoed this sentiment, stating that while he experienced intense peaks in his channel's growth since 2022, none compared to the highs of 2021. TikTok content creator Cloud9 Markets attributed the decline to scams and pump-and-dump schemes involving 'ponzi' altcoins, noting that retail investors are weary of losses.
Cointelegraph's head of social media, Marc Shawn Brown, observed that retail investors have likely shifted their focus to precious metals and macroeconomic trends, seeking tangible returns rather than speculative stories. He noted that 2025 was challenging, with Bitcoin experiencing a -7% return, while palladium, rhodium, cobalt, silver, and gold outperformed.
Despite the downturn, there are signs of stabilization in social sentiment. On-chain analytics platform Santiment reported that sentiment towards Bitcoin is becoming increasingly positive, with mild signs of reversal in the market's bleeding. The platform highlighted the importance of the $90,000 level for maintaining positive retail sentiment. In contrast, sentiment towards Ethereum appears scattered, with no consistent trends emerging at present.
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