The Relationship of Online Discourse on the Values of Bitcoin and Ethereum
Authors: Benchlouch Gil 
Published: November 2020

With technology brazenly breaching through society’s barriers in countless diverse fields, the 21st century has revolutionized many age-old industries. One of the largest areas within society influenced by the progress of technology are the fields of finances, economy, and investment, coupled with the aspect of social influence. With this shift in society parallel to the advancement of contemporary technologies, thus becoming increasingly reliant on the tools made available, the complex yet traditional world of finance has pivoted, becoming contingent upon the use of cutting-edge technologies. This critical shift has introduced the world of Fintech, providing many innovative fiscal opportunities. The coined term, Fintech, is a general term referring to products as services for fiscal activities developed by entities unrelated to banks, insurance firms, nor online companies, providing alternatives to the traditional options available to the general public. (Gulamhuseinwala, Bull and Lewis, 2015). Resultantly of this Fintech trend, one of the largest and most promising fields of contemporary investment is recognized as that of Cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin and Ethereum being the most recognized and heavily traded currencies. Many positive traits can be used to define the novelty of this new economy, with one of the main aspects being its peer to peer (P2P) nature of its trading process. However, beyond the tremendous advancements visible within the process of Cryptocurrency production and trade, one of the most important aspects is the influencers upon the valuation of the different currencies. Similarly to the progression of the economy which has transported the financial world to a digital economy, so has the social world, advancing discourse regarding many topics to the online environment. Thus, it is critical to analyze and assess the nature of online discourse regarding Cryptocurrencies. Explicitly, the chatter preceding to sharp rises and falls with Bitcoin and Ethereum, the most recognizable coins. Additionally, it is imperative to appraise the trends in the behavior and quantity of online discourse prior to a significant drop in Ethereum &amp; Bitcoin.Within the online arena, there are countless different outlets and platforms for people to express themselves in general, or more importantly in this instance regarding the topic of Cryptocurrencies. By using platforms that are designated for discussion regarding financial topics or general social media platforms, the public is provided a critical platform utilized by countless individuals, many of whom are increasingly involved with the aforementioned topics. These platforms stipulate a stage for these individuals, who have become critical by voicing their opinions, thoughts, and experiences. Many of these influencers are sought after for their knowledge, specifically influencing the behavior of others. However, it is critical to evaluate the importance of additional aspects beyond the superficial such as who are the influencers, rather elements such as the content or nature of what is being discussed. Resultantly to trends of content, nature, and volume of what is being discussed in the online arena., people’s behavior regarding investments, specifically within Cryptocurrencies, are very possibly subjected to the influence of others, leading to rises and falls in coin valuation.