Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Mar 08, 2025

NFTs and SNL: Crypto keeps burrowing into the mainstream

NFTs and SNL: Crypto keeps burrowing into the mainstream

It was another crazy year in the crypto world, but traders didn’t seem to mind. Millions of new investors decided to try their hand at cryptocurrencies in 2021.

Crypto has been many things in its short history. 2021 was the year it became part of the mainstream.

Elon Musk tweeted about it, often. It was parodied on "Saturday Night Live." Collins Dictionary dubbed "NFT," the acronym for nonfungible tokens, its word of the year.

Institutional investors looked for ways to get in, and the first bitcoin ETF started trading. Individual traders bought crypto on their phones when they weren’t snapping up GameStop Corp.

About 16% of the U.S. population holds or has held cryptocurrencies, according to Pew Research Center. In 2015, Pew found that only 1% of Americans held or had held cryptocurrencies. The number of people holding cryptocurrencies globally doubled this year to about 220 million, according to crypto.com.

NFT CryptoArt display in art gallery. 3D generated image. Images on the walls are my own and are 3D generated as well.


Crypto prices remained as volatile as ever. From January to April, the price of bitcoin doubled. From April to July, it fell more than 50%. It doubled again a few months later, hitting a record of nearly $70,000 in November. It is now trading around $50,000, still up some 70% from its price of roughly $29,000 at the start of the year.

Representation of cryptocurrency Binance Coin, the native token of the cryptocurrency exchange, is seen in this illustration.


In percentage terms, bitcoin’s gains actually represent one of its weaker years. In 2020, the digital currency rose more than 300%. In dollar terms, however, 2021 was by far the cryptocurrency’s biggest year.

The total value of cryptocurrencies more than tripled at its peak this year, rising to as high as $2.98 trillion from less than $1 trillion in January, according to CoinMarketCap. (It has fallen to about $2.4 trillion recently.)

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Unveils Gold Card Visa Program Exempting Foreign Assets from U.S. Taxation
Trump Holds White House Summit for Cryptocurrency Leaders Amid Financial Scandals
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Highlights the Importance of the US in Attaining Peace
Trump Discovers Negotiating with Russia More Manageable than with Ukraine During Ongoing Conflict
Google Eliminates Women's History Month and Various Cultural Celebrations from Calendar App
Pope Francis Offers Thanks Despite Continuing Health Issues
King Charles III Reveals Curated Playlist on Apple Music in Anticipation of Commonwealth Day.
Disney's Biggest Cruise Ship Set to Debut in Singapore
Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff, the former 'Baywatch' star, tragically took her own life at the age of 62.
NYPD Detective Encounters Criticism for Viral Music Video Appearance
Trinity College Dublin Honors Eavan Boland by Naming a Building After Her, Signifying a Landmark Achievement
Ex-UK Ambassador Cautions Against a Significant Change in US-UK Relations.
UK Government Confirms Prohibition on Issuing New North Sea Drilling Licences During Shift to Clean Energy
Macron Cautions Against Growing Russian Aggression as U.S. Support for Ukraine Evolves
Trump Offers Short-Term Tariff Waiver to Automakers During Trade Strains
Tesla's UK Sales Increase Despite a Wider European Decline and CEO's Political Engagement
Court Rejects Elon Musk's Request to Block OpenAI's Shift to For-Profit, Accelerates Trial Schedule
Global Scam Operation Takes Advantage of Phony Celebrity Promotions to Swindle Thousands
Assurances from Barclays Chairman Postponed Investigation into CEO's Connections with Jeffrey Epstein
Bank of England Cautions of 'Significant' Risk to UK Economy Due to US Trade Policies
Trump Emphasizes Peace Initiatives and Trade Strategies in Recent Address to Congress
US Administration Dismisses Gaza Reconstruction Plan Proposed by Arab Leaders
Historic Surge in Americans Seeking UK Citizenship Following Trump's Re-election
EU Member States Endorse Gradual Rollout of Entry/Exit System
President Trump Indicates Willingness to Restore U.S.-Ukraine Relations Following Recent Strains
Macron Calls on Europe to Bolster Defense in the Face of Russian Threats and Possible U.S. Withdrawal
Heartbreaking Passing of 20-Year-Old American Bodybuilder Sparks Health Worries
Russia Announces Finalization of Passport Distribution in Occupied Areas of Ukraine.
Macron Contemplates Joint Trip to Washington with Zelensky and the Prime Minister of the UK.
Bank of England Warns of Impacts from U.S. Tariffs on UK Consumers
Meghan Markle's New Netflix Series 'With Love, Meghan' Highlights Culinary Aspirations
Buckinghamshire Emerges as a Premier Destination for Ukrainian Refugees
Investigation Reveals Abuse in Fife Care Home After Family's Covert Camera Footage
British National Sentenced to 19 Years in Russian Court for Alleged Involvement in Ukraine Conflict
Google Unveils AI-Exclusive Search Engine in Experimental Release
Swiss Legislators Act to Establish Cash as Constitutional Amid Falling Usage
US Engages in Unprecedented Secret Talks with Hamas Regarding Hostages
Elon Musk Calls U.S. Government-Supported NGOs a 'Nightmare' Operation
Covert UK Officers Misled Women into Relationships for Thirty Years
The UK and France are working together with Ukraine to find a solution to the conflict with Russia.
MPs from Various Parties Express Worry Regarding Proposed Reductions to the UK Aid Budget.
Arab Leaders Approve $53 Billion Initiative for Gaza Reconstruction
Zelenskyy Convenes with UK Prime Minister Starmer Amid Strained Relations with the US
Charles Hanson Acquitted of Assault Charges in Derby Court
UK International Development Minister Resigns Over Aid Budget Cuts
UK Government Initiates Review to Define Islamophobia
Former Police Officer Sentenced for Unauthorized Disclosure of Sensitive Information
GB News Prevails in High Court Challenge Against Ofcom Rulings
Farmer Sentenced to Jail for Causing Death of Son in Accident
Police Seek Greater Transparency to Counter Misinformation in Criminal Cases
×