The latest Bitcoin bull run feels different.
Scratch that. Every bitcoin bull run feels different, as each cycle brings with it fresh narratives and new blood. But there’s one element that’s always been consistent throughout Bitcoin’s history, and that’s retail interest in buying into freedom tech and f**k you money. Well, Bitcoin to the moon rallies, at least.
Remember retail? Because all I hear is crickets…
Anyway, the point here is this: retail is sitting this Bitcoin bull run out, and it can’t be because of a lack of awareness. This time it’s different. Somewhere between the Bitcoin ETFs, presidential pumps, and Larry Fink taking over at the WEF, retail decided this game was no longer for them.
Dare I say it? Bitcoin’s just no fun anymore, or maybe retail got so badly burned last time around they finally learned not to play with fire. No one’s even casually searching for news: Google Trends for Bitcoin isn’t even grazing a mild peak next to Japanese walking and Labubu dolls.
That no one uses Google to search for anything anymore could arguably be a factor in this, but still, the silence from distant relatives and service workers is palpable.
Yet, this time around, nobody cares.
In every Bitcoin bull run, breaking and holding above historic resistance on both price and moving averages has preceded periods of continued momentum. But retail is nowhere to be found.
2025 has also seen a quantum shift in retirement planning with Bitcoin and other cryptos being legally allowed in mainstream retirement accounts, opening direct access for tens of millions of Americans to accumulate hard money for their futures.
But retail couldn’t care less.
They’ve packed their bags all the way to the virtual Bahamas and said “Let’s sit this one out.” And while Bitcoin has arguably morphed from a speculative trade to a staple of retirement portfolios and institutional diversification, retail’s absence feels incredibly sad.
