In February, Google searches in the United States for the phrase “bitcoin zero” reached an unprecedented peak of 100 on Google’s relative interest scale. This surge coincided with Bitcoin’s (BTC) price decline from its October all-time high of $68,541.73 down toward $60,000, marking a drop exceeding 50%.
This sharp increase in search activity might indicate widespread investor capitulation and could potentially serve as a contrarian buying signal. Historically, similar spikes observed in 2021 and 2022 aligned closely with local lows in Bitcoin’s market value.
However, when examining global data, a different pattern emerges. Worldwide interest for the same term peaked at 100 back in August but has since fallen to as low as 38 this month. Instead of reaching new highs recently, global fear-related searches have been steadily declining over several months.
The contrast between U.S.-specific and global trends suggests that panic sentiment is more localized rather than universal. This aligns with recent macroeconomic factors predominantly affecting the U.S., such as rising tariffs, heightened tensions with Iran, and a broader risk-off rotation impacting domestic equity markets.
American retail investors appear to be reacting more strongly to these developments compared to their counterparts in Asia or Europe—regions where Bitcoin’s price corrections are unfolding within different news cycles.
It is also important to note a methodological nuance: Google Trends does not provide raw search volumes but instead scores interest on a relative scale from zero to one hundred. A score of one hundred represents that term’s highest point within the selected timeframe rather than an absolute number of searches.
Therefore, achieving a score of one hundred in February 2026—when Bitcoin’s retail audience in the U.S. has grown significantly since the bear market of 2022—does not necessarily imply more people searched for “bitcoin zero” than before; it means there was an increase relative to an already elevated baseline level.
The growth of Bitcoin’s user base and its mainstream recognition since 2021 further complicate interpretations based solely on search trends. While retail fear appears notably heightened among U.S investors currently, interpreting these search peaks as definitive signals that market bottoms have been reached may be less reliable globally due to cooling international sentiment trends.
In summary, the elevated fear among American retail traders might still offer contrarian insights but should not be viewed as guarantees for immediate trend reversals across broader markets.