Bitcoin ‘Zero’ Searches Hit Record in U.S. as BTC Price Drops Toward $60K

Google searches for “bitcoin zero” in the United States have surged to a record high, reaching 100 on Google Trends’ relative interest scale in February. The spike coincided with Bitcoin’s slide toward $60,000, marking a more than 50% decline from its October all-time high near $68,000. The sudden rise in search interest reflects growing anxiety among U.S. retail investors as the crypto market navigates heightened volatility.

Historically, sharp increases in fear-driven search terms like “bitcoin zero” have appeared near local market bottoms. Similar spikes in 2021 and 2022 aligned with periods when Bitcoin’s price stabilized and eventually reversed higher. This pattern has led some analysts to interpret the latest surge in bearish search activity as a potential contrarian buy signal, suggesting that extreme pessimism could precede a recovery in the BTC price.

However, global data paints a more nuanced picture. While U.S. search interest has reached new highs, worldwide searches for the same term peaked last August and have since declined significantly, falling to 38 this month. The divergence indicates that panic may be concentrated primarily in the U.S., rather than reflecting widespread global capitulation across the cryptocurrency market.

Several U.S.-specific factors may explain this localized surge in concern. Escalating tariff tensions, geopolitical risks involving Iran, and a broader risk-off rotation in U.S. equities have shaped the domestic macroeconomic narrative. Retail investors in the United States may be responding more strongly to these developments compared to market participants in Asia or Europe, where Bitcoin’s drawdown is unfolding against different economic backdrops.

It is also important to understand how Google Trends works. The platform measures relative search interest on a scale from 0 to 100 within a selected time frame, meaning a score of 100 represents a term’s peak popularity during that period—not absolute search volume. With Bitcoin’s user base significantly larger than during the 2022 bear market, a higher baseline could amplify relative spikes.

Overall, retail fear in the U.S. is clearly elevated. While extreme sentiment can sometimes signal a potential market bottom, the cooling global trend suggests caution. The latest spike in “bitcoin zero” searches may offer contrarian insight, but it does not guarantee an immediate Bitcoin price reversal.