Extreme Fear Returns as Crypto Majors Slide Despite Bitcoin Holding Above $67K

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Crypto market sentiment has deteriorated sharply, with the Crypto Fear and Greed Index dropping to 12. This places the market firmly in “Extreme Fear” territory as most major cryptocurrencies recorded weekly losses.

The slide in sentiment comes despite Bitcoin avoiding a decisive breakdown, suggesting investor caution is being driven more by sustained downside pressure across altcoins than by panic selling.

Bitcoin holds key levels as confidence weakens

Bitcoin [BTC] was trading near $67,950 at the time of writing, down 4.28% over the past seven days, according to CoinMarketCap data. While BTC remains above $65,000, upside momentum has stalled, limiting its ability to stabilize broader market sentiment.

Bitcoin’s relative resilience contrasts with worsening market psychology. This divergence has historically preceded either renewed consolidation or a delayed reaction lower across risk assets.

Ethereum and Solana lead weekly losses among majors

Losses were more pronounced among large-cap altcoins. Ethereum [ETH] fell 7.45% over the past week to around $1,975, underperforming Bitcoin amid intensified selling pressure.

Solana [SOL] also declined, down 3.64% on the week to trade near $84.70, while BNB slipped 3.86% to approximately $617. The weakness across high-beta assets reflects a broader reduction in risk appetite rather than isolated token-specific events.

Isolated gainers fail to offset broader risk-off tone

Not all majors moved lower. XRP posted a 1.87% weekly gain, while TRON [TRX] rose 1.71% and Bitcoin Cash [BCH] advanced 7.43% over the same period.

However, these gains were insufficient to shift overall sentiment, as the majority of non-stablecoin assets remained in the red. The uneven performance highlights selective positioning rather than broad-based accumulation.

Extreme fear signals caution, not capitulation

The current Fear and Greed reading represents a sharp reversal from last month, when sentiment hovered near neutral levels.

Historically, index readings below 20 have coincided with periods of heightened uncertainty driven by macro pressures, ETF flow volatility, or prolonged price stagnation.

Despite the negative sentiment, price action remains relatively orderly, suggesting investors are de-risking gradually rather than exiting the market entirely.

Final Summary

  • Extreme fear is reflected across major cryptocurrencies, driven by underperformance in ETH and SOL.
  • Bitcoin’s ability to hold above $65K remains central to whether sentiment stabilizes or deteriorates further.

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2026-02-16 23:35