Crypto market sentiment remained in “excessive concern” on Friday, marking the 14th straight day that market sentiment has remained within the zone.
The sentiment-tracking Crypto Worry & Greed Index fell three factors to a rating of 20 out of 100 on Dec. 26, hitting a two-week stretch of “excessive concern” that began on Dec. 13, making it one of many longest intervals within the zone because the index launched in February 2018.
Market sentiment has been trending down since early October after renewed US-China tariff fears wiped almost $500 billion from the crypto market on Oct. 10.
Fears that the US Federal Reserve might pause fee cuts within the first quarter of 2026 may additionally be weighing on investor sentiment, with Jeff Mei, chief working officer of crypto alternate BTSE, warning final Monday that Bitcoin might fall to $70,000 ought to the Fed hold charges regular.
Bitcoin is at the moment buying and selling at $88,650, almost 30% off its all-time excessive of $126,080 set on Oct. 6, CoinGecko knowledge reveals.
Regardless of the autumn, the index rating is even decrease than that seen throughout FTX’s shock collapse in November 2022, which considerably broken the crypto business’s status and despatched Bitcoin’s worth towards $16,000.
The index rating relies on market volatility, buying and selling quantity, social media sentiment, tendencies and Bitcoin dominance.
Crypto search quantity has tanked
Information analytics platform Alphractal famous on Saturday that crypto search quantity on Google, Wikipedia views, and posts and discussions on web boards have additionally dropped.
“Crypto social quantity has returned to ranges sometimes seen throughout bear markets,” it mentioned “December 2025, retail buyers seem discouraged, disengaged, and largely absent from the crypto market.”
Bitwise’s Hougan factors finger at “crypto-native retail”
Final month, Bitwise chief funding officer Matt Hougan blamed the crypto market pullback and falling sentiment on “crypto-native retail.”
“Crypto native retail is depressed, they had been overwhelmed down by FTX, they had been overwhelmed down by the memecoin debacle. They had been overwhelmed down by the altcoin season not arriving. They received damage on the ten/10 liquidation, and I believe they’re simply sitting this one out.”
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Alternatively, “TradFi retail” is flourishing, in line with Hougan, who pointed to the rise in spot crypto exchange-traded fund inflows over the past two years.
“Conventional retail, like my uncle, he’s transferring into crypto, that a part of retail remains to be alive,” mentioned Hougan.
US Bitcoin ETFs have attracted over $25 billion in inflows to this point in 2025 regardless of Bitcoin posting a 5% loss year-to-date.
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