Bitcoin, known as the premier digital currency, continues to captivate attention as its price remains below the $70,000 threshold. Despite a prevailing bearish sentiment in the market, Solid Intel—an independent on-chain analytics platform—has reported a notable surge in Google search activity related to Bitcoin.
Spike in Bitcoin-related Searches Reflects Market Capitulation
According to data shared by Solid Intel, searches for the phrase “Bitcoin is dead” have surged close to their historical peak. This trend reached an all-time high score of 100 on Google Trends this past February when Bitcoin was trading near $68,000.
This pattern typically emerges during significant price declines or major market downturns like the current scenario. Essentially, Solid Intel confirms that negative sentiment is dominating the Bitcoin market right now, which explains why interest in such pessimistic queries has spiked.
INTEL: Google searches for “Bitcoin is dead” are nearly at their all-time high pic.twitter.com/autPbKVr4c
— Solid Intel 📡 (@solidintel_x) February 21, 2026
Historical trends indicate that this kind of widespread fear often appears near market bottoms. Given that these search volumes have hit record highs once again, it could signal that Bitcoin might be approaching a phase of price recovery soon.
Over the last month alone, Bitcoin has lost more than 24% of its value amid broader volatility across financial markets. Since late January 2026 when it traded above $88,000 per coin, its trajectory has been predominantly downward.
A recent analysis from VanEck highlights that this sharp decline — approximately 29% — may represent one of the most intense selling phases nearing completion. The report suggests heavy selling pressure has purged speculative traders and left sellers fatigued.
Divergent Behavior Among BTC Whales Indicates Smart Money Accumulation
The cryptocurrency’s price recently oscillated between a low around $66,452 and an intraday high exceeding $68,260. At present writing time, Bitcoin trades at about $68,176—a modest gain of roughly 0.48% over twenty-four hours—with trading volume rising by nearly 24%, reaching approximately $41.93 billion within this period.
Technical indicators currently point toward “Extreme Fear,” scoring around fourteen on relevant indexes and nearing yearly lows close to five points. Historically speaking, sustained fear levels like these tend to precede vigorous rallies once investor sentiment shifts positively.
Institutional investors remain cautious amid ongoing volatility; however, a segment of large holders (whales) continues accumulating assets rather than retreating.
An esteemed on-chain analyst Ali Martinez observed whales acquiring over thirty thousand Bitcoins within just seven days recently. This behavior implies confidence among major players anticipating potential upward momentum ahead despite current turbulence in prices.