Crypto Fear and Greed Index Hits 74 as Bitcoin Struggles Below $80,000
The Crypto Fear and Greed Index surged to 74 on August 25, its highest reading in roughly 10 months. This came as Bitcoin's price rose from below $68,000 to near $80,000 over the same period, but remains about 38% below its October 2025 record of $126,198.
The index measures Bitcoin's volatility, trading momentum, social media activity around crypto, Bitcoin's share of total crypto market value, and Google search trends. These inputs can move quickly, and they did, with the index reading 25 on August 6 in extreme fear territory before reaching 74 by August 25.
The rally that drove the index to 74 has partly reversed, and sentiment has not fully recovered. Bitcoin price touched $82,283 on September 3 but fell back toward $78,600 by September 8 as stronger U.S. jobs data pushed rate-hike odds to around 60% and lifted Treasury yields.
A reading of 74 assumes that the market's short-term holders held roughly $9.07 billion in unrealized profits on September 8, a cushion large enough to fund more selling if the Fed signals a hike at its next meeting.