It seems like there’s a growing interest among casual investors, but they’re still cautious about diving all in.

Is the retail sector making a comeback?

Yes, but it’s not a complete resurgence.

K33 Research notes a 45% increase in 90-day website traffic to crypto exchanges compared to the previous quarter. Similarly, visits to data aggregation platforms like Coingecko and Coinmarketcap have surged by 66%.

Vetle Lunde, senior analyst at K33 Research, points out that while these numbers are promising, they’re still well below the peak levels seen in the summer of 2022.

Another noteworthy trend is in Google searches. While the term “Bitcoin” has seen a significant uptick since October 2023, searches for “how to buy Bitcoin” haven’t seen the same level of interest, scoring only 74.

Interestingly, searches related to Ethereum show more interest, with a score of 82 for “how to buy Ethereum,” indicating a potential upward trend.

The rise of crypto apps also hints at growing interest from retail investors. Coinbase, for instance, climbed from number 498 to 49 in app usage rankings before dipping to 123. CashApp remains a popular choice, ranking 17th in the United States.

As for when we might see a full-fledged alt season, it seems retail investors are cautiously optimistic. With the current focus on Bitcoin ETFs and broader market dynamics, it’s uncertain when altcoins might take the spotlight.

Matt Hougan, Bitwise’s CIO, suggests that while we’re in an “everything season” fueled by Bitcoin’s rally, improvements in tech infrastructure, like Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade and the rise of L2s, could further boost adoption and prices.

Overall, it appears we’re still in the early stages of renewed retail interest, with the full-fledged enthusiasm yet to kick in.