Crypto Died in 2021? A Requiem for Altcoins and the Rise of Bitcoin

Was 2021 the year crypto died? This article dives into the state of crypto since the NFT craze, the dominance of Bitcoin, and what it all means for investors.

Crypto Died in 2021? A Requiem for Altcoins and the Rise of Bitcoin

Remember 2021? NFTs were all the rage, and everyone was minting digital monkeys. But some say that was the year crypto actually… well, kicked the bucket. Let's explore what happened and what's been going on in the wild world of digital currencies since then.

The Alleged Crypto Apocalypse of '21

According to some, 2021 marked a turning point. User @ChillOutSOL put it bluntly: "Crypto died in 2021. Since then, we’ve been trading corpses." Harsh, right? The sentiment is that the get-rich-quick schemes and initial excitement surrounding ICOs have faded, replaced by skepticism and the realization that many altcoins are, let's just say, less than stellar.

The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of Crypto Trends

Let's take a stroll down memory lane:

• 2017: ICO Mania (remember Tezos and EOS?)
• 2018: Blockchain everything.
• 2019: Libra (Facebook's crypto attempt).
• 2020: DeFi and Yield Farming.
• 2021: The NFT Craze.
• 2022: DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations).
• 2023: Ordinals (NFTs on Bitcoin!).
• 2024: Memecoins (Fartcoin? Seriously?).

The article highlights that many of these trends were just vehicles for insiders to cash in, leaving average investors holding the bag. Ouch.

Bitcoin: The Last Coin Standing?

While altcoins struggle, Bitcoin is flexing its muscles. The launch of Bitcoin ETFs by BlackRock has attracted serious institutional investors, with nearly $50 billion flowing in. Even Ethereum ETFs lag far behind. Samara Cohen from BlackRock stated that other cryptos, including Solana, don't meet their criteria. Brutal.

Altcoins in a Bear Market

The data doesn't lie. Ethereum has dropped significantly against Bitcoin since its all-time high in 2021. Cardano? Even worse. The article points out that we’re in a permanent bear market for altcoins, and it's unlikely to reverse soon.

Why Bitcoin is Winning

Institutional investors are primarily focused on Bitcoin. Companies are adding Bitcoin to their treasuries, and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is kicking in. Billionaire Philippe Laffont even admitted to waking up at 3 a.m. feeling "stupid" for missing out on Bitcoin's rise.

So, Is Crypto Really Dead?

Maybe not entirely. But it's definitely evolving. Bitcoin's dominance is growing, and the market is maturing. The days of easy money from random altcoins might be over. Now, it's more about solid fundamentals and institutional adoption.

In conclusion, while the wild west days of crypto might be behind us, Bitcoin seems to be here to stay. So, maybe crypto didn't die in 2021, it just... grew up? And Bitcoin's invited to the grown-up table!