Google data reveals our fascination with Bitcoin

IF THE nation’s Google searches are anything to go by, this year the British public have been preoccupied by getting rich by buying Bitcoins.

The internet giant has revealed the most searched for terms and questions of 2017, and the cryptocurrency takes two slots on the list of most popular “How to” searches, as well as featuring in the “What is” top 10.

“How to buy Bitcoin” was the second most frequently asked “How to” question of the year, with “How to mine Bitcoin” in sixth place. “What is Bitcoin?” was also fourth on the list of most searched for “What is” questions.

The value of the online currency has soared this year, with the price of one Bitcoin close to £13,000 last night, up 17-fold on the start of 2017.

Aside from Bitcoin, Google’s search trends tell a tale of political confusion and royal romance.

The top two “What is” questions reflect the nationwide confusion following June’s general election, with “What is a hung parliament?” taking the top slot, followed by “What is an exit poll?”. “What is a general election?” comes in seventh.

As Theresa May negotiated a political deal with Arlene Foster, one of the top searches in Britain was also “What is the DUP?”.

A nationwide fascination with Prince Harry’s blossoming romance saw “Meghan Markle” take the trending queries top slot.

This year paints a more positive picture than 2016, when the search engine’s annual round up was dominated by political earthquakes and celebrity deaths.

But poignant news events still featured, with searches for “Grenfell disaster” and “Manchester bombing” appearing high on the list, with spikes in interest for volunteering and donating to related causes, Google added.

Many sought to learn more about notable Britons who hit the headlines this year including Tara Palmer Tomkinson, who was found dead in her home on Feb 8 aged 45; Charlie Gard, a child with a rare genetic disease who was taken off life support at Great Ormond’s Hospital following a High Court Battle; and “kidnapped” schoolgirl Shannon Matthews.