Bitcoin on "google trends" *SPIKES* in PIIGS and developing countries

[checkhere]

In comparison to the peak of June 2011

Although the bitcoin search trend in the world is slowly growing reaching 48% comparing to June 2011 bubble burst http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin, checking specific countries reveals a major spike in some locations:

Croatia 357.14%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=HR

Greece 113.63%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=GR

Spain 105.26%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=ES

China 104.16%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=CN

Argentina 101.01%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=AR

Irland 100.00%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=IE

Portugal 99.00%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=PT

Italy 60.00%
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=bitcoin&geo=IT

Interesting! 

[Wekkel]

If one country needs it, it would be Greece.

[Merralea]

Not sure what the deal is with Croatia, but as for the rest-- extremely, extremely interesting. 

[misterbigg]

Hey nice job on this research

[blockbet.net]

Croatia is about to become a European union member this summer, maybe that has something to do with it? People are already looking for alternatives

[bracek]

Croatia is about to become a European union member this summer, maybe that has something to do with it? People are already looking for alternatives

I'm from Croatia

maybe just the number of searches passed some treshold to be noticed by google, so we just made it to the charts,
earlier when I tried to see this, google said there was no data or something like that

[Killdozer]

It's not too far-fetched that Greece would be very interested in Bitcoin. They seem to have less and less faith in EURO (even though their problem is basically their own corruption), there are even some other attempts to make their own currencies already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsD1I9bOgEs&list=PLE490E4AC9D65A878
That could just as easily been Bitcoin, if only those people knew about it.

[Snowfire]

Due to the ongoing debt crisis, many of these nations either have instituted, or plan to institute, some form of capital controls to prevent money from leaving the country. Bitcoin (IF the gateway capacity exists, and that remains to be seen) represents a potential exploit for getting around these provisions. Deposit euros in local gateway, convert to BTC, then transmit to the address of choice--poof, the money is out of the country. Even LTC  or other altcoins could function in this role if gateway capacity existed. So yes, people are getting mighty interested as things look more dicey at home.

[Merralea]

Croatia is about to become a European union member this summer, maybe that has something to do with it? People are already looking for alternatives

Aha. Beautiful.