Crypto Greed Gauge Hits Highest Since $19 Billion Wipeout

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has hit its highest level since October's $19 billion wipeout, indicating a shift from fear to greed in less than two weeks. The index reached 74 on Tuesday, up from 27 on August 12, before easing to 65 on Wednesday.

The gauge scores market mood from zero to 100 by blending Bitcoin's volatility and trading momentum with social media activity, Bitcoin's share of total crypto value, and Google search interest. Anything above 50 is classified as greed.

Data shows the index last sat this high on October 5, 2025, just five days before the crash that forced roughly $19 billion of leveraged positions to close in a single session.

The shift in sentiment has come with gains across the market. Bitcoin climbed from below $68,000 last week to nearly $80,000, while some major tokens added as much as 70% as traders turned back toward the so-called debasement trade after months of speculative attention on AI, memory chips, and semiconductor stocks.

Further down the market, smaller memecoins have gained significantly, with Thinking Cat up 131%, Cash Cat 113%, and Dog (Bitcoin) close to doubling. Money moving into thinly traded tokens like these is a strong indication of risk appetite returning.