Bitcoin derivatives traders turned cautious, despite steady inflows to the spot BTC ETFs.

Bitcoin futures premium falls to 3-month low despite strong BTC ETF inflows

Data shows the Bitcoin Fear &amp; Greed Index has returned back to the neutral 
territory, a sign that investors are losing optimism. Bitcoin Fear &amp; Greed 
Index Has Reset Back To Neutral The &#8220;Fear &amp; Greed Index&#8221; refers to an 
indicator created by Alternative that tells us about the average sentiment 
present among the traders in the Bitcoin and wider cryptocurrency markets. 
Related Reading: Dogecoin Gears Up For 60% Move—Will It Be Up Or Down? The 
index makes use of the data of these five factors in order to determine the 
trader mentality: trading volume, market cap dominance, volatility, social 
media sentiment, and Google Trends. The indicator represents the calculated 
sentiment as a score lying between zero and hundred. Values above the 54 mark 
correspond to the dominance of greed in the market, while those below 46 to 
presence of fear among the investors. All values lying between these cutoffs 
correlate to a net neutral sentiment. Now, here is how the mood in the Bitcoin 
market is like right now according to the Fear &amp; Greed Index: As is visible 
above, the Bitcoin Fear &amp; Greed Index has a value of 54 at the moment, which 
suggests the investors hold a neutral sentiment, although one that&#8217;s right on 
the edge of turning into greed. The recent neutral mentality in the sector has 
come following a phase of greed among the traders, as the below chart shows. 
As displayed in the graph, the Bitcoin Fear &amp; Greed Index spiked to a high of 
72 earlier in the month as the asset&#8217;s price gave investors hope that its 
consolidation phase might be coming to an end. As the recovery rally has 
fizzled out and the coin has returned to its range, however, optimism among 
the investors has predictably faded. If history is to go by, though, this 
development may not actually be so bad for the cryptocurrency. Generally, 
digital asset markets tend to move in a way that goes contrary to the 
expectations of the majority. The probability of such an opposite move taking 
place goes up the more extreme the crowd opinion becomes. Besides the three 
core sentiments, there are two special regions known as the extreme fear 
(under 25) and extreme greed (above 75). These zones are where the likelihood 
of a contrary move has been the strongest in the past, with tops and bottoms 
often taking form. Although the market sentiment has recently only seen a 
reset to the neutral territory, the fact that the investors are no longer 
greedy could still be a positive for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. There 
have been many instances in the past where a dip into the neutral zone was 
enough for the bull run to regain momentum. Related Reading: Solana Plunges 
13%: Can Key On-Chain Support Stop The Fall? It only remains to be seen, 
though, how the prices of BTC and others would develop in the coming days. BTC 
Price At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around the $102,800 mark, 
down more than 2% in the last seven days. Featured image from Dall-E, 
Alternative.me, chart from TradingView.com

Consolidation Takes Its Toll: Bitcoin Investors No Longer Greedy

De-dollarization accelerates as Russia and Belarus abandon the U.S. dollar in 
98.8% of trade, unleashing profound economic realignments that challenge 
Western financial supremacy and fuel global volatility. Russia and Belarus 
Complete Stunning 98.8% Shift to National Currencies in Trade The global trend 
toward de-dollarization has been gaining momentum as countries seek to reduce 
reliance on […]

De-Dollarization Hits Critical Mass With Russia-Belarus Near-Complete Currency Transition

Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal says macroeconomic data suggests the current crypto 
cycle could extend into Q2 2026.

Crypto cycle is playing out ‘spookily similar’ to 2017: Raoul Pal

In a high-stakes legal battle, Pavel Durov’s defense team dismantles French 
prosecutors&#8217; case, exposing major procedural missteps and shaky charges 
surrounding Telegram’s alleged role in criminal conspiracies. French 
prosecutors’ attempt to indict Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov faces mounting 
scrutiny as his attorney, Christophe Ingrain, highlights substantial flaws in 
the case. The accusations hinge on Durov’s […]

Lawyer Exposes French Prosecutors’ Missteps as Telegram Founder Faces 10-Year Threat

Bitcoin has resumed a slow climb upward after a recent period of 
consolidation, briefly breaking back above the $106,000 mark earlier today. At 
the time of writing, the cryptocurrency is trading at $105,383, reflecting a 
0.8% increase over the past 24 hours. While this upward move has not sparked a 
major breakout, analysts are paying close attention to on-chain and market 
structure indicators that suggest a cautiously balanced environment. Related 
Reading: Analyst Warns Of Bitcoin Breakdown—’If This Continues, It Snaps’ On- 
Chain Data Points to Equilibrium, But Demand Wanes According to CryptoQuant 
analyst Darkfost, the market currently lacks extreme signals of profit-taking 
or panic. In a recent analysis, Darkfost explained that realized profits over 
a seven-day moving average remain below $1 billion. This is in line with 
figures observed during the market correction in late 2024 and significantly 
below peaks seen in early 2025. The analyst suggests that the current realized 
profit levels point to a market that is not under pressure from large-scale 
investor exits, supporting the ongoing consolidation. In the same report, 
Darkfost also discussed how a decline in demand may be limiting further upward 
momentum. By analyzing the ratio of new supply to the supply held inactive for 
over a year, the study observed that while demand remains positive, it has 
been weakening since Bitcoin’s local high in May. This suggests that although 
the market is absorbing existing selling pressure, fresh buying interest is 
not strong enough to trigger a new rally. As a result, the market appears to 
be in a state of temporary equilibrium, a phase where both sellers and buyers 
are relatively inactive. Bitcoin Traders Brace for Volatility in a Crowded 
Range Another CryptoQuant analyst, BorisVest, echoed the sentiment of a 
tightly contested market by analyzing Binance order flow and position data. He 
noted that Bitcoin has traded within a range of $100,000 to $110,000 for 
nearly a month. Within this band, both long and short positions have been 
building, and traders are watching the extremes of this zone closely. 
According to BorisVest, any breakout beyond $110,000 or drop below $100,000 
could set the tone for the next significant price movement. The $100K–$110K 
price range has become a battleground for both bulls and bears. BorisVest 
observed that short positions are currently increasing, indicating that a 
significant portion of market participants expect a downward correction. 
Related Reading: Is Bitcoin Gearing Up for a Breakout? On-Chain Signals Say 
‘Watch This Level’ However, he also pointed out that when shorts dominate, the 
risk of a sudden reversal, known as a short squeeze, becomes more likely. This 
behavior is consistent with recent funding rate trends, which show a fairly 
balanced distribution of long and short bets. Featured image created with 
DALL-E, Chart from TradingView