Fear is back.
By Maxime Laurent · 2026-02-23 13:24
Fear is back. Again.
$BTC at $62K, liquidations explode, Fear & Greed at 5 — panic mode engaged.
Last night felt heavy.
$BTC dipped to around $62,300.
$ETH slid below $1,850.
Many altcoins dropped up to 10%.
In 24 hours, roughly $460M in liquidations were wiped out.
And the Fear & Greed Index? Around 5 out of 100.
That’s not just fear.
That’s existential doubt.
We’ve seen this movie before.
Extreme fear usually comes with:
– Forced leverage flushes
– Retail capitulation
– Doom headlines
– “Crypto is over” narratives
But let’s zoom out.
A 4% total market cap drop in crypto is not systemic collapse. It’s volatility doing what volatility does. The liquidations tell the real story: too much leverage, too little patience.
When funding gets crowded and traders overextend, markets correct violently. Not because fundamentals changed overnight — but because positioning did.
At Fear & Greed = 5, sentiment is already compressed. That doesn’t guarantee a bounce. But historically, markets don’t reward maximum consensus panic.
Ask yourself:
Did $BTC’s hash rate collapse?
Did $ETH stop validating blocks?
Did institutions disappear overnight?
Non.
What changed is price. And price is emotional.
From my terrace in the south of France, watching red candles flash while the sea stays perfectly calm, I’m reminded of something simple:
Crypto punishes impatience.
If you’re overleveraged, this market eats you.
If you’re strategic, these moments become data — not drama.
Extreme fear is uncomfortable.
But it’s rarely boring.
Respire. 🌊🔥
#Bitcoin #Ethereum #Crypto #MarketCrash #FearAndGreed #Volatility
$BTC at $62K, liquidations explode, Fear & Greed at 5 — panic mode engaged.
Last night felt heavy.
$BTC dipped to around $62,300.
$ETH slid below $1,850.
Many altcoins dropped up to 10%.
In 24 hours, roughly $460M in liquidations were wiped out.
And the Fear & Greed Index? Around 5 out of 100.
That’s not just fear.
That’s existential doubt.
We’ve seen this movie before.
Extreme fear usually comes with:
– Forced leverage flushes
– Retail capitulation
– Doom headlines
– “Crypto is over” narratives
But let’s zoom out.
A 4% total market cap drop in crypto is not systemic collapse. It’s volatility doing what volatility does. The liquidations tell the real story: too much leverage, too little patience.
When funding gets crowded and traders overextend, markets correct violently. Not because fundamentals changed overnight — but because positioning did.
At Fear & Greed = 5, sentiment is already compressed. That doesn’t guarantee a bounce. But historically, markets don’t reward maximum consensus panic.
Ask yourself:
Did $BTC’s hash rate collapse?
Did $ETH stop validating blocks?
Did institutions disappear overnight?
Non.
What changed is price. And price is emotional.
From my terrace in the south of France, watching red candles flash while the sea stays perfectly calm, I’m reminded of something simple:
Crypto punishes impatience.
If you’re overleveraged, this market eats you.
If you’re strategic, these moments become data — not drama.
Extreme fear is uncomfortable.
But it’s rarely boring.
Respire. 🌊🔥
#Bitcoin #Ethereum #Crypto #MarketCrash #FearAndGreed #Volatility
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and not financial advice.