Crypto Fear & Greed Index Stuck in Extreme Fear at 13

TheNewsCryptoPublished on 2026-02-17Last updated on 2026-02-17

Abstract

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index remains in the "Extreme Fear" zone with a current score of 13, reflecting persistently negative market sentiment. This follows a yearly low of 5 on February 6, 2026. The prolonged fear is largely attributed to the "10/10" event on October 10, 2025, which triggered the largest liquidation event in crypto history—over $19 billion in leveraged positions across 1.6 million accounts were liquidated in a single day. Bitcoin fell 14%, and altcoins suffered even steeper losses, exposing structural vulnerabilities in derivatives markets, thin liquidity, and over-leverage. Despite this bleak retail sentiment, institutional players like BlackRock and Citadel continue to expand their involvement in DeFi and tokenization, creating a divergence between retail fear and institutional conviction. The index had previously reached an all-time high of 76 ("Extreme Greed") on May 23, 2025.

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index on CoinMarketCap has been witnessing an extreme fear situation since the beginning of this month. On February 6, 2026, it hit its yearly low, standing at a reading of 5 and in an extreme fear zone.

This indicates a market sentiment environment that has decreased heavily in the last few months. The index comprises a composite sentiment gauge that collects signals over volatility, market momentum, social media activity, dominance and search trends, pouring them into a single score between 0 and 100, showing extreme fear and extreme greed, respectively.

At the time of writing, the score is 13, which makes it still sit in an extreme fear zone. On May 23, 2025, the index hit its all-time high, standing at a whopping score of 76 and indicating an extreme greed situation.

The Prolonged Reason

The extended fall into the fear zone takes place for the major part of the events of October 10, 2025, commonly referred to as “10/10”. The events on that single day influenced the largest liquidation event in the history of the crypto industry, having more than $19 billion in leveraged positions shut within one day over 1.6 million accounts.

Bitcoin slipped about 14% on that day, and altcoins witnessed more tough exhaustion. The fall revealed structural vulnerabilities in crypto derivative markets, thin liquidity, over cross-margin leverage, and exchange infrastructure that fastened under the load, and sentiment hasn’t sufficiently recovered since then.

The latest reading is noteworthy because of its divergence from current institutional developments. Major traditional finance players such as BlackRock, Citadel and others carries on to intensify their engagement with DeFi and tokenisation, and wider real-world asset adoption projects carries on to make notable

Retail sentiment with institutional conviction is running on various time horizons currently, a dynamic worth overlooking as markets search for a platform.

Highlighted Crypto News Today:

The Rise of Layer 3: How Application-Specific Layers Are Powering Specialized DeFi Innovation

TagsBitcoinCoinMarketCapcrypto fear and greed

Related Questions

QWhat is the current reading of the Crypto Fear and Greed Index and what sentiment zone does it represent?

AThe current reading is 13, which represents an extreme fear zone.

QWhat was the primary cause of the market's prolonged period of extreme fear, according to the article?

AThe primary cause was the events of October 10, 2025 (10/10), which triggered the largest liquidation event in crypto history and revealed structural vulnerabilities in the market.

QWhat was the all-time high score of the index and when was it reached?

AThe index reached its all-time high score of 76, indicating extreme greed, on May 23, 2025.

QWhat is the significance of the current market sentiment reading in relation to institutional activity?

AThe current extreme fear reading is noteworthy because it diverges from ongoing institutional developments, where major finance players are increasing their engagement with DeFi and tokenization.

QWhat are the five signals that the Crypto Fear and Greed Index collects to create its composite score?

AThe index collects signals from volatility, market momentum, social media activity, dominance, and search trends.

Related Reads

Must-Watch Events Next Week｜CLARITY Act Could Face Senate Vote; SpaceX, Circle to Report Earnings (8.3-8.9)

**Summary: Key Events and Developments to Watch (August 3-9)** The upcoming week is marked by significant financial disclosures, key legislative deadlines, and notable product updates. **Major Financial Events:** Several companies are scheduled to release their Q2 2026 earnings. American Bitcoin (ABTC) will report on August 3, followed by SpaceX and Hut 8 Mining Corp. on August 4, and Circle on August 5. Notably, a significant portion of SpaceX shares (up to 12% of total shares) will be unlocked on August 6 following their earnings release. **Key Legislative Deadline:** The U.S. Senate faces an August 7 deadline to secure 60 votes for the CLARITY Act, a bipartisan bill aiming to establish a federal regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies. The Senate may hold a full vote on the bill during the week. **Economic Data:** The U.S. July Non-Farm Payrolls report will be released on August 7, providing crucial labor market data. **Technology & Product Updates:** * **Shutdowns:** DeFi portfolio tracker Zapper and wallet app Ctrl Wallet will cease operations on August 3. * **Upgrades:** LayerZero will deprecate its v1 relayers on August 3. XRP Ledger's new version 3.3.0, featuring five new functions, is expected next week. * **AI:** Elon Musk announced that the advanced Grok 4.6 AI model is set for release around August 7. * **Bitcoin:** The BIP-110 forced signaling for a potential Bitcoin network change is scheduled to begin around August 8. **Other Notable Events:** Chinese robotics firm Unitree Tech has set its preliminary price inquiry for its IPO for August 5. South Korean exchange Upbit will delist AQT and AERGO tokens on August 3.

marsbit6m ago

Must-Watch Events Next Week｜CLARITY Act Could Face Senate Vote; SpaceX, Circle to Report Earnings (8.3-8.9)

marsbit6m ago

Stocks Are Plummeting More Sharply Than Cryptocurrencies. Where Has the Money Gone?

Stock Markets Plunge Deeper Than Cryptocurrencies: Where Did the Money Go? In late July, Seoul's Kospi index triggered circuit breakers for two consecutive days, plummeting over 40% from its June high. The collapse was led by heavyweight stocks like SK Hynix, whose record profits still disappointed investors, and devastating leveraged ETFs, with one major product losing over 83% of its value. This signaled a global, forced deleveraging targeting the most crowded trades. Interestingly, while stocks exhibited extreme volatility akin to crypto markets, Bitcoin rose nearly 15% in July after a prior steep drop. Analysis shows the money fleeing equities did not flow into Bitcoin. Instead, Bitcoin had already absorbed its sell-off in May-June, when U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw historic outflows. The true safe-haven beneficiary was gold, whose price rose over 20% year-on-year, highlighting a decoupling between Bitcoin and gold as "digital gold." The sell-off was a targeted unwinding of leveraged positions in tech and semiconductors, accelerated by broker-dealer risk management and shifts in the AI narrative, including new competition from Chinese memory chipmakers. The retreat path was clear: from high-valuation tech stocks to cash and U.S. Treasuries, then to gold. For Bitcoin to attract sustained institutional inflows, conditions like eased global liquidity pressure, a "soft-landing" Fed rate cut, and U.S. regulatory clarity via legislation like the stalled CLARITY Act are needed. Currently, Bitcoin is not a safe haven but an already-cleared asset. Its low correlation with tech stocks, however, makes it a potential diversification play for institutional portfolios once the storm passes. The money isn't here yet, but the positioning is underway.

marsbit6m ago

Stocks Are Plummeting More Sharply Than Cryptocurrencies. Where Has the Money Gone?

marsbit6m ago

In Conversation with Ray Dalio: We Are Currently in an AI Bubble, with 1% of My Portfolio in Bitcoin

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, warns in an interview that the current AI boom shows classic bubble characteristics, which could lead to significant economic downturns as seen in past cycles like 1929 or 2000. He explains that speculative enthusiasm, fueled by debt and overvaluation, often precedes a crash when rising rates or taxation force asset sales, causing widespread losses and recession. Dalio also outlines his "Big Cycle" theory, describing an approximate 80-year pattern where widening wealth gaps, massive government deficits, and shifting geopolitical power (like China's rise) create internal conflict and global instability. He emphasizes that we are in a late-cycle, transitional phase where traditional powers like the US and UK face decline. For personal wealth protection, Dalio advises diversification beyond cash into assets like stocks, bonds, real estate, and particularly gold, which he prefers over Bitcoin. While he holds about 1% of his portfolio in Bitcoin as a non-printable hard asset, he views gold as more secure from technological or governmental threats. Regarding AI's impact, Dalio believes it will disproportionately benefit capital owners, worsening inequality by replacing both physical and cognitive labor. He suggests that human intuition and emotional intelligence, combined with AI, will be key for future workers. On taxation, Dalio argues that wealth taxes are impractical and risk triggering asset sell-offs, reducing productive investment. He points to the UK as a cautionary example of debt, low productivity, and political strife. Geopolitically, Dalio foresees a more regionalized world, with the US showing weakness in prolonged conflicts like with Iran, akin to past imperial declines. The ideal outcome, he suggests, is coexisting powerful blocs (e.g., Americas, China-Asia Pacific) without major war.

marsbit4h ago

In Conversation with Ray Dalio: We Are Currently in an AI Bubble, with 1% of My Portfolio in Bitcoin

marsbit4h ago

Daily 7.2 Trillion KRW: Foreign Capital's Record Net Buying on Friday! Wall Street Says Headwinds for Korean Stock Fund Flows Have Subsided

South Korean stock market sees a dramatic shift in fund flows. On July 31, foreign investors made a record net purchase of approximately KRW 7.2 trillion in KOSPI stocks, marking a fundamental reversal from the persistent large-scale net outflows seen in previous months. This contributed to a significant narrowing of foreign net selling in July to KRW 9.8 trillion, down sharply from KRW 48.4 trillion in June and KRW 44.5 trillion in May. Simultaneously, domestic institutional pressure eased. South Korean pension funds and asset managers turned to a net buying position in July, purchasing KRW 1.0 trillion worth of KOSPI shares, contrasting with net sales in May and June. Market volatility is expected to be dampened by new financial regulations. Effective July 31, the Financial Services Commission tightened access for retail investors to single-stock leveraged ETFs by raising the minimum cash deposit requirement. Trading volumes for these products subsequently dropped to about 50% of their monthly average. Citigroup Research maintains its year-end KOSPI target of 10,000 points. The firm cites several supportive factors: the substantial easing of headwinds from capital outflows, a robust fundamental outlook for the semiconductor sector, historically low market valuations, strong economic fundamentals, and the potential for policy support from financial authorities if needed.

marsbit4h ago

Daily 7.2 Trillion KRW: Foreign Capital's Record Net Buying on Friday! Wall Street Says Headwinds for Korean Stock Fund Flows Have Subsided

marsbit4h ago

Breaking! OpenAI's Next-Gen AI Solves 10 Fields Medal-Level Problems

OpenAI's next-generation AI model Astra achieves breakthroughs in 10 long-standing mathematical conjectures. The results, including constructing the first known infinite, finitely presented non-sofic group—resolving a major question since 1999—and advancing the high-dimensional sphere packing problem beyond a 46-year-old barrier, are detailed in a 249-page paper. Key proofs have been formally verified using Lean 4. The AI also refuted a rigidity conjecture by Fields Medalist Alain Connes. According to OpenAI, generating these proofs cost under $2,000. Experts describe the findings as potentially Fields Medal-worthy and a landmark moment for both mathematics and AI, showcasing the model's ability to produce profound, human-like reasoning across diverse fields like group theory, geometry, and operator algebras.

marsbit5h ago

Breaking! OpenAI's Next-Gen AI Solves 10 Fields Medal-Level Problems

marsbit5h ago

Trading

Spot
活动图片

Hot Categoriesright-arrow

Hot Tagsright-arrow