Interest in altcoins and Ethereum is hitting multi-year highs, according to Google Trends data, as a surge of ETF filings and expanding corporate treasury strategies drive market attention beyond Bitcoin. Analysts see this as a sign of growing investor appetite for the broader crypto ecosystem.
Google Trends Shows Spike in Retail Curiosity
Google searches for “altcoin” have reached their highest level since 2021, while “Ethereum” searches are at a two-year peak. The last time similar spikes occurred was during periods of intense retail activity, such as the ICO boom of 2018 and the DeFi-NFT rally of 2021, when major coins like Ether, Cardano, and BNB fueled market momentum.
Although Google Trends doesn’t predict price direction, it often highlights moments when retail traders are actively seeking new opportunities.
Altcoin ETFs Gain Institutional Momentum
Institutional interest in altcoins is rising fast, with ETF activity extending well beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum. In the first half of 2025 alone, U.S. regulators received at least 31 altcoin ETF applications.
Among the most notable, Canary Capital filed for a spot SUI ETF in March, with Cboe BZX requesting to list the fund. Nasdaq also submitted the required paperwork for 21Shares’ spot SUI ETF, officially triggering SEC review.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart estimate a 95% approval likelihood for Solana, XRP, and Litecoin ETFs, and up to 90% for Dogecoin, Cardano, Polkadot, Hedera, and Avalanche products.
Corporate Treasuries Diversify Beyond Bitcoin
More companies are holding altcoins as strategic reserves, with Ether emerging as a preferred asset. Firms like Metaplanet, BitMine, and SharpLink Gaming collectively hold billions in ETH, often staking their holdings for additional yield.
The diversification doesn’t stop at Ethereum. DeFi Development Corp. holds nearly one million SOL (around $200 million) and stakes them for rewards, while Upexi doubled its Solana reserves to two million tokens in July. Chainlink has also entered the treasury conversation with its new Chainlink Reserve, converting network fees into LINK tokens to strengthen long-term sustainability.
Altcoin Market Continues Its Climb
Data from CoinGecko shows broad gains across the altcoin sector in recent weeks. Ethereum has surged 30% in the past week and is now up 78% year-to-date, trading near $4,722 — just shy of its all-time high from November 2021.
Other major altcoins are also rallying: XRP (+10%), Solana (+19.3%), SUI (+15%), and Chainlink (+43%). With ETF approvals on the horizon and corporate treasuries expanding into multiple coins, analysts believe altcoins are set to play a much larger role in the next market cycle.
