Is it really a bear market? The cryptocurrency YouTube traffic has hit a 5-year low. Are the crypto KOLs you follow doing okay?

Data shows that cryptocurrency YouTube traffic has hit a 5-year low, reflecting a decline in retail investor enthusiasm. Due to algorithm controversies and market performance, crypto KOLs are shifting focus to macroeconomics or AI topics to seek survival.

Crypto YouTube Traffic Plummets, Bear Market Atmosphere Envelops the Community

Viewership of cryptocurrency-related content on YouTube has fallen to its lowest point since January 2021, indicating the market is facing severe challenges.

Benjamin Cowen, founder of ITC Crypto, recently shared 30-day average viewership data for various crypto YouTube channels, showing a rapid decline in traffic over the past three months.

He pointed out that this is not just an issue of algorithm adjustments on a single platform, but a general loss of attention in the cryptocurrency industry.

Image source: Benjamin Cowen’s 30-day average viewership data for cryptocurrency YouTube channels

Crypto YouTuber Tom Crown added that the crash in crypto content traffic is widespread across major platforms, with noticeable localized declines since October last year. Current data has never even approached the peaks of 2021.

Another Bitcoin investor, Polaris XBT, bluntly stated that the current social media attention on the crypto community has completely fallen back to bear market levels.

YouTuber Jesus Martinez also lamented that although he worked hard to grow his channel in early 2022 and experienced peak traffic, his recent performance still lags significantly behind the boom of 2021.

This may also indicate that the current bull market cycle was mainly driven by institutional investors, with retail participation having receded to a secondary position.

Further reading:
Will Bitcoin Rise or Fall in 2026? Institutions and Traders Are Arguing, Summarizing Both Sides’ Arguments

X Platform Also Faces Algorithm Controversy, Official and Community Perspectives Diverge

Amid the decline in community traffic, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) algorithm has also come under scrutiny.

First, CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju criticized that on January 9, the number of automated posts related to “Crypto” on X surged by 1,200%, generating over 7.7 million posts in a single day.

He believes this caused the algorithm to treat crypto-related hashtags as spam sources, triggering widespread de-ranking and inadvertently penalizing genuine accounts that post educational articles or technical charts.

Image source: X CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju criticizes X’s algorithm

In response to community concerns, X product head Nikita Bier stated that the visibility decline of Crypto Twitter content is partly due to user behavior patterns.

Many accounts, in order to maintain engagement, frequently post GM (Good Morning) or engage in superficial interactions. These behaviors consume followers’ limited daily viewing quotas, causing important project updates to be drowned out.

Bloomberg reported that Elon Musk has promised to open-source the platform’s algorithm code and plans to integrate AI chatbot Grok to help filter low-quality content, aiming to restore the platform’s standing within the crypto community.

Retail Investors Grow Tired of Scams, Crypto KOLs Face Survival Challenges

As community traffic benefits diminish, crypto KOLs and creators are facing survival challenges.

TikTok creator Cloud9 Markets analyzed that retail investors are exhausted by the constant scams and pump-and-dump schemes, leading to reluctance to re-enter the market.

Cointelegraph’s social media director Marc Shawn Brown also observed that with Bitcoin’s full-year return in 2025 at -7%, underperforming traditional assets like gold and silver, many investors are shifting their focus to precious metals and macroeconomic issues.

Image source: CoinMarketCap 2025 Bitcoin full-year return at -7%, underperforming gold and silver

The author’s observation is that some Taiwanese crypto YouTubers or influencers are no longer limited to crypto content but also discuss macroeconomics, AI, semiconductors, and financial concepts, aiming to expand their audience and follower base.

Under the dual pressures of algorithm changes and a market winter, producing high-quality content that regains audience trust and expanding the customer base will be a key challenge for all crypto content creators.