Retail investors are losing interest due to weak crypto returns, past losses, and a shift toward assets like gold.
Fewer people today watch crypto videos on YouTube, so viewership is at its lowest level in five years. View counts have returned to levels last seen in early 2021.
Industry tracker Benjamin Cowen, founder of ITC Crypto, revealed the downturn using a 30-day moving average of views across multiple prominent crypto YouTubers.
According to the data, engagement was down, and Benjamin stated that the decline is not tied to any specific platform. The metric has steadily fallen over the past three months, reaching depths not seen since the early stages of the last major crypto bear market.
Crypto YouTube viewership is falling across multiple platforms
Viewers today have lost interest in cryptocurrency-related content on YouTube, resulting in a significant drop in viewership on these channels over the past three months.
YouTube creators like Tom Crown said he saw the slowest growth on his channel in October because his views, comments, and likes all started falling at the same time. Tom also said that prices kept changing, but that wasn’t enough to attract more viewers, as his engagement remained the same.
Bitcoin investor Polaris XBT also noted that fewer people today watch daily updates, react to market news, or participate in online discussions about crypto.
Analysts have noted that interest in cryptocurrency has been waning for some time, as fewer people are actively following the market to make informed investments. They have no specific reason for the slowdown, and since it can’t be attributed to a platform or recent event, they attribute it to a change in consumer preferences.
Retail investors are pulling back from crypto content
Many creators claim that their viewership is below average, despite their channels remaining active and occasionally experiencing slow growth.
YouTube creator Jesus Martinez said his channel gained more subscribers and expanded after 2022. However, he says none of his videos received the same level of attention as those created in 2021, when the market was at its peak and engagement was at an all-time high.
Other creators say that many retail traders avoid crypto content due to negative experiences.
TikTok creator Cloud9 Markets stated that people have also lost a significant amount of money to scams and pump-and-dump schemes, and the projects have often ended up being short-lived. With their trust destroyed, viewers are unlikely to follow a new narrative, fearing they may lose their money again.
Market performance also affects where retail investors focus their attention, as they are increasingly turning to gold and other metals after the price of crypto has been dropping for a long time. In 2025, cryptocurrency investments recorded weaker returns for investors, but gold maintained its strength with a stronger performance during the same period.
Investors are also tired of long-term stories and strategies that promise future gains, which may take years to materialize. They now want immediate and measurable results, so they don’t spend time on content that doesn’t deliver otherwise.
On-chain analytics firm Santiment said sentiment toward Bitcoin is improving. The firm examines how people discuss Bitcoin online, rather than the number of people actively participating, and notes that more people are starting to change their minds about leaving the Bitcoin network. Santiment also stated that sentiment toward Ethereum is uneven and lacks a clear path.
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