Crypto Fear and Greed Index: Live Bitcoin Market Sentiment

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index above shows where market sentiment sits today on a 0 to 100 scale. Extreme Fear (0 to 24) usually appears after a sharp drop, when traders are panicking and long term buyers start stepping in. Extreme Greed (75 to 100) tends to show up near market tops, when volume spikes and retail FOMO kicks in.

Use this page as a daily sentiment check alongside live crypto prices, Bitcoin news, Ethereum news and our markets coverage.

How the Best Info Crypto Fear and Greed Index Works

Most fear and greed indices combine several different signals into a single number. Ours uses four equally weighted factors, all derived from CoinGecko’s market data API.

1. Volatility (25%)

We measure Bitcoin’s 30 day return volatility and compare it to the 90 day rolling average. Calm markets score as greedy, turbulent markets score as fearful. The reasoning is straightforward: big swings, especially down ones, scare investors out of positions.

2. Market Momentum and Volume (25%)

We take Bitcoin’s 7 day average trading volume, compare it to its 30 day average, and blend the result with the 7 day price return. Heavy volume on rising prices reads as greed. Thin volume on falling prices reads as fear. This catches both buying frenzies and capitulation.

3. Bitcoin Dominance (25%)

Bitcoin’s share of total crypto market cap tells you where capital is flowing. When dominance falls, money is rotating into altcoins, which is a classic greed signal. When dominance rises sharply, traders are fleeing risk and consolidating into BTC, which we score as fear.

4. Total Market Cap Trend (25%)

The 24 hour change in total crypto market capitalization captures broad market direction in one number. Expanding markets push the index toward greed. Contracting markets push it toward fear.

Each factor is normalized to a 0 to 100 score, and the final index is the average of all four. The breakdown is shown live above so you can see which factors are pulling the current reading.

How to Read the Fear and Greed Gauge

A common contrarian rule of thumb: be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Warren Buffett’s famous line applies just as well to crypto. When the index sits in Extreme Greed for weeks on end, it is often time to take some profit. When it grinds in Extreme Fear, long term investors have historically been rewarded for accumulating.

No single indicator is a crystal ball. The index works best alongside fundamental research, technical analysis and good risk management.

Why Sentiment Matters in Crypto

Crypto markets are unusually emotion driven. There are no quarterly earnings, no central bank guidance and very little institutional dampening. Prices are set almost entirely by retail flow, leverage and narrative, which is exactly the kind of environment where sentiment indicators tend to be useful.

Studies of the original Alternative.me Crypto Fear and Greed Index have shown a meaningful correlation between extreme readings and short term reversals. Our index uses a slightly different methodology, but the underlying logic is the same. When the crowd swings hard to one extreme, the odds of a mean reversion move tick up.

Pair the gauge with other context:

• Spot prices. See the live crypto prices page for the top 250 coins by market cap.
• Bitcoin context. The Bitcoin coin page has detailed price history, a TradingView chart and key stats.
• News flow. Sentiment shifts are usually driven by something. Check Markets news and Bitcoin news for the latest headlines.
• DeFi and altcoin trends. Watch DeFi news and the Ethereum category when alt season kicks in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Crypto Fear and Greed Index?

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index is a single 0 to 100 score that summarises the prevailing emotion in the crypto market. Low scores mean investors are fearful, with prices usually weak and volume falling off. High scores mean investors are greedy, with prices rising, volume heavy and FOMO spreading. It is one of the most popular at a glance indicators in crypto.

How is the index calculated?

Our index combines four equally weighted factors taken from CoinGecko market data: Bitcoin volatility, market momentum and volume, Bitcoin dominance, and the total cryptocurrency market cap trend. Each factor is scored 0 to 100 and averaged into the final reading. The full breakdown is visible on this page so you can verify the inputs in real time.

How often does the index update?

The page refreshes roughly every 30 minutes. We pull fresh data from CoinGecko on the server, recompute the index, and cache the result briefly so the page loads quickly. Reload the page at any time for the latest reading.

Should I trade based on the Fear and Greed Index?

The index is a sentiment indicator, not a trading signal on its own. It is most useful as a contrarian gut check. Extreme fear can precede recoveries, and extreme greed can precede pullbacks, but the signal should always be combined with price action, fundamentals and risk management. Best Info Crypto does not provide financial advice. Please do your own research before making any investment decision.

Where does the data come from?

All inputs are pulled live from CoinGecko, a leading crypto market data aggregator. Bitcoin price and volume history come from CoinGecko’s coins/bitcoin/market_chart endpoint. BTC dominance and total market cap come from the /global endpoint. The index is computed entirely from this public market data, with no proprietary or social signals mixed in.

Related Resources

• Live cryptocurrency prices, top 250 coins by market cap
• Bitcoin price and analysis
• Ethereum price and analysis
• Markets news, daily market coverage
• Crypto guides, strategy, analysis and how to articles
• Best crypto to buy guide