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Crypto sentiment gauge hits FTX-era lows as ‘extreme fear’ reaches a 9 reading

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Crypto sentiment gauge hits FTX-era lows as 'extreme fear' reaches a 9 reading

Crypto market sentiment sank to its bleakest level since the FTX collapse after bitcoin’s sharp drop this week dragged prices across the board and forced a wave of deleveraging.

The widely followed Crypto Fear and Greed Index fell to 9 on Friday, a reading categorized as “extreme fear” and one that has historically only appeared during major breakdowns in market confidence.

The index stood at 12 a day earlier, 16 last week and 42 last month, suggestive of how quickly traders have shifted from cautious to outright defensive.

The fear gauge is built primarily around bitcoin, combining several indicators that attempt to quantify investor mood rather than price direction. It includes volatility and drawdowns, market momentum and trading volume, social media engagement, bitcoin dominance and Google Trends data tied to bitcoin-related searches.

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A sharp rise in volatility, a spike in defensive positioning and an increase in fear-driven search interest typically push the index lower.

The collapse in sentiment comes as bitcoin briefly traded near $60,000 in late U.S. hours Thursday before bouncing back toward $65,000, a whipsaw move that reflected both forced liquidations and opportunistic dip-buying.

While the rebound suggests some buyers are willing to step in near major psychological levels, the sentiment reading implies the broader market remains in “sell first, ask questions later” mode.

In past cycles, extreme fear has often coincided with local bottoms, largely because panic conditions tend to flush out leveraged traders and short-term holders. But that is not a rule, and the index is better read as a snapshot of stress rather than a timing tool.

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The index does not predict where bitcoin goes next, however. But it does show that the market has returned to the kind of fear typically reserved for systemic events.

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Crypto World

Swan Bitcoin Seeks Subpoena For Howard Lutnick

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Swan Bitcoin Seeks Subpoena For Howard Lutnick

Bitcoin financial services firm Swan Bitcoin has filed an ex parte application in moves to subpoena Cantor Fitzgerald and its former CEO, Howard Lutnick, seeking discovery tied to a failed mining venture involving former employees. 

Swan sued several ex-staff in September 2024, alleging that they stole confidential documents, resigned, and then founded “counterfeit competitor” firm Proton Management days later while convincing Tether, one of Swan’s funding partners at the time, to cut ties with Swan and work with them instead. The ex-staff allegedly referred to this as the “rain and hellfire” plan.

Swan’s application for a subpoena, filed in the Southern District of New York on Monday, targets Cantor Fitzgerald and Lutnick because Swan believes they are in possession of key documents relevant to Swan’s failed mining venture with Tether, 2040 Energy, in addition to the coordinated employee exodus and alleged data exfiltration.

The subpoena application against Lutnick, who now serves as US secretary of commerce, comes as Democratic senators like Elizabeth Warren continue to press him over potential conflicts of interest tied to Tether.

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Source: Cory Klippsten

Cantor Fitzgerald is Tether’s investment banker and has advised the stablecoin issuer with its push into the Bitcoin mining industry, Swan noted in the filing.

Due to this link, Swan alleged that Cantor Fitzgerald likely knew about the undervalued sale of Swan’s crypto mining assets to a Tether subsidiary.

Swan alleges that Cantor ghosted them after a meeting

Swan said its CEO, Cory Klippsten, met with Lutnick in June 2024, before the alleged events took place, as Swan was considering an initial public offering and Cantor Fitzgerald was interested in being Swan’s lead investment banker.

During those discussions, Swan said it shared a “highly confidential and proprietary slide deck” with Cantor Fitzgerald and showed them its mining facilities.

“After the mass resignations and asset diversion, Cantor broke off contact with Swan without explanation,” Klippsten said on X.

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