It is safe to say the year 2017 has been interesting for Bitcoin altogether. Despite a lot of success, there have also been major setbacks. The media have never paid more attention to Bitcoin, which is both a blessing and a curse. So far, 2018 has been relatively quiet for Bitcoin due to the lack of notable price movement. It will be interesting to see what this year brings.
As one would expect, media attention for Bitcoin is both good and bad. Numerous magazines have a Bitcoin article on their front page last year. Newspapers had major Bitcoin headlines, both good and bad. The number of obituaries related to the world’s leading cryptocurrency has reached a new all-time high. With 93 of such reports to be found, it is evident most people still aren’t wiser when it comes to cryptocurrency. This form of money will not die, no matter how badly someone wants it to.
Bitcoin Gets Lots of Media Attention
At the same time, the overall interest in cryptocurrency is growing. We have seen quite a few countries propel themselves to the top.in this regard. China has lost its position in the Bitcoin world, which can only be considered to be a good thing. The media has covered the meteoric rise of Japan and South Korea. Which country will come out on top in 2018, remains to be determined. Anything and everything is possible these days.
More importantly, the academic interest in Bitcoin is also on the rise. Although 2016 was a stellar year, last year trumped those numbers as well. Nearly 6,000 Google Scholar articles mention the world’s leading cryptocurrency as of right now. This number will continue to increase at an accelerating pace over the next few years. This new paradigm of money sparks a lot of debates and ideas. The possibilities are virtually limitless for those willing to pay attention. Plus, it’s almost a “cool” topic to talk about these days.
It is unclear what 2018 will bring for cryptocurrencies in general. More media attention will follow, regardless of how things evolve. Whether or not there will be any positive news to report, is difficult to predict. Bitcoin is not in good shape right now and things won’t improve either. Moreover, there will be additional hard forks, airdrops, and shitcoins to contend with this year. An exciting ecosystem awaits, but not every opportunity should be trusted either. Plenty of people look to prey on novice users who can’t separate the scams from genuine projects.
Header image courtesy of Shutterstock
