Investor sentiment is very fearful, with low trading volume and high negative social commentary.
Global searches for “crypto” on Google are at their lowest level in nearly a year, a sign of diminished investor interest amid market problems worldwide.
The total cryptocurrency market capitalization has plummeted by 43% from a record $4.2 trillion at its peak to around $2.4 trillion today. The decline in searches and market value is a signal of investor anxiety amid ongoing uncertainty.
The global search volume for “crypto” is 30 out of 100 on Google Trends, with 100 being the highest level of interest. The last peak came at the market cap peak in August 2023 – the 12-month trough of 24 – showing that global interest is falling and that attention will further shrink worldwide for cryptocurrencies as well.
The retreat in online interest parallels sharp price declines across major assets. Bitcoin recently fell below $64,000. Other leading tokens have also seen steep drawdowns, further eroding market confidence.
Search trends in the United States paint a slightly different picture. US search interest was set at 100 in July 2025 but fell below 37 by January 2026. However, interest returned to 56 in early February, indicating that certain American investors are re-evaluating their positions.
The US had the lowest search volume around 32 during the April 2025 market crash, which was influenced by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
Market analysts say that, though US interest is showing some renewed enthusiasm, global searches indicate that excitement around crypto is much lower than during previous peaks. Market action, in turn, follows suit.
Total daily crypto trading volume has plummeted from more than $153 billion on Jan. 14 to around $87.5 billion this past Sunday, according to CoinMarketCap. Reduced trading activity, along with waning search interest, underlines the overall market slowdown.
Investor sentiment is extremely cautious. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which gauges market mood, bottomed out at 5 on Thursday and edged up to 8 by Sunday.
Both readings are signs of “extreme fear,” at levels consistent with those seen after the collapse of the Terra ecosystem and the dollar-pegged stablecoin that it created in 2022. Investors are increasingly tracking social signals and online chatter to determine when to buy, analysts say.
Market sentiment platform Santiment says, “crowd sentiment is fiercely bearish. The ratio of positive to negative commentary has collapsed; negative comments have reached their highest level since December 1.”
Many traders are sitting around waiting for signs that the market has hit bottom before making any new moves. The low trading volume, fear, and falling search interest suggest that the market is still in a weak phase. In the past, Google searches have generally mirrored market highs and lows.
For instance, a lot of searches usually mean it’s rallying, and little interest usually goes when there’s a downturn. Now, crypto is about to cool down, and the optimism wave is yet to return. Long-term investors still see the market as a buying opportunity at lower prices, but they should remain on guard.
Experts suggest monitoring both sentiment indexes and search trends to pinpoint where recovery could occur, and an increase in search interest or a deluge of social commentary might signal the time to rebound. Now, volatility is expected to hang around for the long haul, while many investors remain on the sidelines.
