Beyond Bitcoin: Cryptocurrencies that surged in popularity in 2021

THE CRYPTOCURRENCIES SURGING IN POPULARITY AND PRICE

Over the past few years, Bitcoin’s meteoric rise has captured global attention, reaching historic highs and fueling widespread enthusiasm for digital assets. While Bitcoin remains the dominant force in the crypto market, it is far from the only player. In fact, thousands of alternative cryptocurrencies exist today, and some have experienced even sharper gains in both price and popularity over the past year.

These digital assets generally fall into two categories. Some are independent coins—like Bitcoin—that operate on their own blockchain networks and are commonly used for transactions and payments. Others are tokens built on established blockchains such as Ethereum, serving various purposes including NFT trading, decentralized applications, or representing ownership stakes in projects.

That said, investing in alternative cryptocurrencies—often referred to as altcoins—comes with significant risk. A notable example is the ‘Squid Game’ token incident, where the asset’s price soared to nearly $2,860 before collapsing to virtually nothing in a dramatic crash.

For this reason, anyone considering entering the crypto market should approach it carefully, conduct thorough research, and fully understand the associated risks. Educating yourself before trading digital assets is essential to making informed decisions.

To determine which cryptocurrencies have seen the largest increase in public interest, we analyzed Google search trends alongside price performance in US dollars between September 2020 and September 2021, focusing on the 50 largest crypto coins and tokens by market presence.

1. SHIBA INU

September 2020 searches: 70
September 2021 searches: 1.5 million
Growth: 2,100,000%

Launched in August 2020 and inspired by the same dog breed behind Dogecoin, Shiba Inu started with minimal attention. In September 2020, the term “Shiba Inu coin” generated just 70 Google searches. Fast forward one year, and interest had skyrocketed to 1.5 million searches in September 2021 — representing an astonishing 2.1 million percent surge. Similar to Dogecoin’s viral rise, Shiba Inu quickly became one of the most talked-about cryptocurrencies in the market.

2. POLYGON

September 2020 searches: 90
September 2021 searches: 90,500
Growth: 100,456%

Previously known as Matic Network, Polygon is an Ethereum-based token that supports the Polygon Network. Over the course of a year, search interest for “Polygon crypto” surged by more than 100,000%. This dramatic rise mirrors the increasing demand for Ethereum scaling solutions, as the Ethereum blockchain continues to experience record levels of activity and adoption.

3. TERRA

September 2020 searches: 320
September 2021 searches: 18,100
Growth: 5,556%

Although Terra’s search volume hasn’t yet reached the same heights as Shiba Inu or Polygon, it recorded the third-largest growth rate in popularity. Searches for “Terra crypto” climbed by over 5,000% year-on-year. Terra is classified as a stablecoin project, meaning it was designed to maintain more stable and predictable pricing compared to highly volatile assets like Bitcoin, aiming to reduce the dramatic price swings commonly associated with cryptocurrencies.