Crypto viewership on YouTube has experienced a significant decline, reaching its lowest point since January 2021. This downturn follows a three-month trend of decreasing engagement across various cryptocurrency-related channels, highlighting a broader malaise affecting social media platforms.
Data shared by Benjamin Cowen, founder of ITC Crypto, illustrates this decline through a 30-day moving average of views from multiple YouTube channels focused on cryptocurrency. Cowen emphasized that this slump is not isolated to YouTube; similar decreases have been observed on platforms like X and others. The data indicates that the drop in viewership is not merely a result of algorithm changes on a specific platform but reflects a general trend across all channels.
Tom Crown, a prominent crypto YouTuber, noted that interest in crypto content has “collapsed across all platforms,” with a clear downward trajectory in viewership since October. He observed that social engagement with cryptocurrency has remained low since 2021, failing to return to previous highs. Bitcoin investor Polaris XBT remarked that current engagement levels align with “bear market levels of social interest,” indicating that institutional investors are currently influencing market dynamics, leaving retail traders largely inactive.
Several content creators have echoed these sentiments, reporting similar patterns of declining viewership. YouTube creator Jesus Martinez, who began his channel in early 2022, acknowledged experiencing peaks in audience engagement, yet noted that none of his recent videos have approached the reach his content enjoyed during the peak of 2021. TikTok creator Cloud9 Markets pointed to the prevalence of scams and pump-and-dump schemes as significant factors driving retail investors away, stating that many have become disillusioned after being “rekt” by speculative altcoin investments.
Marc Shawn Brown, the head of social media at Cointelegraph, observed a shift among investors towards precious metals and macro assets. He pointed out that Bitcoin recorded a return of -7% in 2025, while precious metals such as palladium, rhodium, cobalt, silver, and gold have outperformed it during this period. This trend suggests that investors are increasingly seeking tangible returns rather than engaging with narratives about potential future gains in the cryptocurrency space.
Despite the overall decline in viewership, some data indicates that sentiment around Bitcoin may be stabilizing. Analytics firm Santiment reported that social sentiment towards Bitcoin is showing signs of improvement, with the $90,000 price level seen as critical for maintaining retail trader positivity. However, sentiment surrounding Ethereum remains fragmented, lacking consistent trends.
This decline in crypto YouTube engagement mirrors broader bear market conditions, with content creators and analysts unanimously acknowledging the downturn across multiple platforms. Growing retail fatigue from scams and disappointing returns has led many investors to pivot towards traditional assets that fared better in 2025.
