Crypto Fear and Greed Index Reaches 74, Highest Since October 2025

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index hit 74 on August 25, the highest level since October 5, 2025. Bitcoin (BTC) reached its all-time high the following day. Sentiment has since decreased to 65, ending one of the longest periods of pessimism in the index's eight-year history. The index measures market sentiment from 0 (extreme fear) to 100 (extreme greed) and has been published daily by Alternative.me since February 2018. Readings remained below 50 for 106 consecutive days until August 19, with only the 2022 bear market and a 107-day stretch in January lasting longer. From January 18, sentiment was below 50 for 213 of 214 days, with a neutral reading on May 5 being the only exception. The index averaged 24.2 in 2026, bottoming at 5 on February 12, and had not exceeded 60 since January 15. The recent rally was influenced by the US Treasury's decision to double long-end debt buybacks on August 19, increasing each operation to at least 4 billion dollars. This caught bearish traders off guard, leading to short liquidations of 2.74 billion dollars on August 20, affecting 172,202 traders. The following day, shorts faced an additional 1.06 billion dollars in liquidations, while long liquidations totaled 174.41 million dollars. Bitcoin has surged 23% over the past week, trading near 78880 dollars on August 26, still 37% below its record. However, demand indicators have not confirmed this shift, with exchange-traded funds remaining net sellers in 2026, reducing holdings by approximately 92000 BTC.