Bitcoin Sentiment Exits Extreme Fear as BTC Holds $89K

A widely followed market mood gauge climbed out of “extreme fear” on Friday, even as bitcoin remained below $90,000.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index posted a score of 29, its highest reading in 21 days and the strongest level since Dec. 12.

Bitcoin was trading around $88,995 at the time of publication.

Sentiment improves, but fear remains

The move higher comes after the index spent roughly eight weeks in “fear” or “extreme fear” territory.

Crypto entrepreneur Brian Rose argued the setup has become attractive, writing on X on Dec. 28:

“Risk/Reward is the best it has ever been.”

Rose added that the fearful stretch was longer than the April 2025 sell-off that followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement of global trade tariffs.

‘Mixed emotions’ heading into 2026

Analytics firm Santiment said market participants entering 2026 were conflicted:

“Some mourn personal losses while others celebrate crypto gains and community resilience.”

Other indicators show risk-off positioning

CoinMarketCap’s Altcoin Season Index also pointed to cautious positioning, showing a “Bitcoin Season” score of 23 out of 100 on Friday.

The indicator compares the performance of the top 100 altcoins against bitcoin over the past 90 days.

View the live bitcoin fear and greed chart ->.