Crypto market sentiment remained in \u201cextreme fear\u201d on Friday, marking the 14th straight day that market sentiment has remained in the zone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sentiment-tracking Crypto Fear & Greed Index fell<\/a> three points to a score of 20 out of 100 on Dec. 26, hitting a two-week stretch of \u201cextreme fear\u201d that started on Dec. 13, making it one of the longest periods in the zone since the index launched in February 2018.<\/p>\n Market sentiment has been trending down since early October after renewed US-China tariff fears wiped nearly $500 billion from the crypto market on Oct. 10.<\/p>\n Fears that the US Federal Reserve may pause rate cuts in the first quarter of 2026 may also be weighing on investor sentiment, with Jeff Mei, chief operating officer of crypto exchange BTSE, warning last Monday that Bitcoin could fall to $70,000<\/a> should the Fed keep rates steady.<\/p>\n Bitcoin is currently trading at $88,650, nearly 30% off its all-time high of $126,080 set on Oct. 6, CoinGecko data<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n Despite the fall, the index score is even lower than that seen during FTX\u2019s shock collapse<\/a> in November 2022, which significantly damaged the crypto industry\u2019s reputation and sent Bitcoin\u2019s price toward $16,000.<\/p>\n The index score is based on market volatility, trading volume, social media sentiment,<\/a> trends and Bitcoin dominance.<\/p>\n Data analytics platform Alphractal noted<\/a> on Saturday that crypto search volume on Google, Wikipedia views, and posts and discussions on internet forums have also dropped.<\/p>\n <\/template><\/p>\n \u201cCrypto social volume has returned to levels typically seen during bear markets,\u201d it said \u201cDecember 2025, retail investors appear discouraged, disengaged, and largely absent from the crypto market.\u201d<\/p>\n Last month, Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan blamed the crypto market pullback<\/a> and falling sentiment on \u201ccrypto-native retail.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCrypto 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\u2019re just sitting this one out.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: <\/strong><\/em>NFT collections get no Santa rally as market hits 2025 lows<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n On the other hand, \u201cTradFi retail\u201d is thriving, according to Hougan, who pointed to the rise in spot crypto exchange-traded fund inflows over the last two years.<\/p>\n \u201cTraditional retail, like my uncle, he\u2019s moving into crypto, that part of retail is still alive,\u201d said Hougan.<\/p>\n US Bitcoin ETFs<\/a> have attracted over $25 billion in inflows<\/a> so far in 2025 despite Bitcoin posting a 5% loss year-to-date.<\/p>\n Magazine: <\/strong><\/em>6 reasons Jack Dorsey is definitely Satoshi\u2026 and 5 reasons he\u2019s not<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n![\"bitcoins\"](\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2025-12\/019b58dd-3c17-7b12-adfe-324706b4d485.png\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBitcoins Crypto search volume has tanked<\/h2>\n
Bitcoins Bitwise\u2019s Hougan points finger at \u201ccrypto-native retail\u201d<\/h2>\n