Crypto Sentiment Plunges to 'Extreme Fear' as Markets Slide

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 5 on Thursday, plunging market sentiment into Extreme Fear as digital asset prices continue to weaken. The index runs from 0 to 100, with readings between 0 and 24 classified as Extreme Fear and 75 to 100 as Extreme Greed. Sentiment has unraveled quickly: a month ago the index was 26, it slid to 12 a week earlier and registered 11 the day before hitting 5.

That deterioration coincides with a surge in the World Uncertainty Index, which tracks mentions of "uncertainty" in Economist Intelligence Unit country reports across more than 140 countries; it topped 100,000 in Q3 2025 and was 94,947 in Q4. The broader crypto market has fallen alongside sentiment.

Total market capitalization is down more than 22% in 2026, Bitcoin dropped more than 10% in January and another 14.6% so far in February, Ethereum is down 33.8% year to date, and spot trading volumes have fallen roughly 30% since late 2025. Analysts remain divided on what comes next.

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