- Crypto market sentiment remained in “extreme fear” for a 14th consecutive day on Dec. 26.
- The Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell to 20, after losses tied to US-China tariff concerns and rate-cut uncertainty.
- Crypto social and search activity has dropped to levels typical of bear markets, according to social-data trackers.
- Institutional-style retail flows continue, with US Bitcoin ETFs drawing over $25 billion in 2025 despite price declines.
What: Crypto sentiment stayed in the "extreme fear" zone for a 14th straight day on Dec. 26 as the Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell three points to a score of 20. The stretch began on Dec. 13 and is among the longest since the index launched in February 2018. The index measures market volatility, trading volume, social media sentiment, trends and Bitcoin dominance (a technical indicator that tracks Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market).
Why: Markets have trended lower since early October after renewed US-China tariff fears wiped nearly $500 billion from crypto on Oct. 10. Concerns that the US Federal Reserve may delay rate cuts into 2026 have also weighed on sentiment. Jeff Mei, chief operating officer of BTSE, warned that Bitcoin could fall to $70,000 if the Fed keeps rates steady.
Price context: CoinGecko data shows Bitcoin trading near $88,650, about 30% below its Oct. 6 all-time high of $126,080. The index score is lower than readings seen during the FTX collapse in November 2022, when Bitcoin fell toward $16,000.
Social and search trends: Data trackers report falling engagement. Alphractal noted that Google search volume, Wikipedia views, and forum activity have declined, and that "Crypto social volume has returned to levels typically seen during bear markets," adding that retail investors appear discouraged and disengaged in December 2025.
Market participation: Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, attributed the pullback to weakened "crypto-native retail" and contrasted that with continued interest from traditional investors. He said, "Crypto native retail is depressed, they were beaten down by FTX, they were beaten down by the memecoin debacle. They were beaten down by the altcoin season not arriving. They got hurt on the 10/10 liquidation, and I think they’re just sitting this one out." He added, "Traditional retail, like my uncle, he’s moving into crypto, that part of retail is still alive."
Flows: US Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds have attracted more than $25 billion in inflows so far in 2025, despite a roughly 5% year-to-date price decline for Bitcoin.
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