MetenaFear & Greed Index: definition and history
A sentiment index from 0 (extreme fear) to 100 (extreme greed) that combines several measures of market behavior.
Definition
The Fear & Greed Index published by alternative.me combines several measures: volatility, volumes, social media, bitcoin dominance, search trends. The result runs from 0 (extreme fear) to 100 (extreme greed).
It describes the mood of the moment, which changes fast. Extreme fear has often come with lows, extreme greed with excesses, but the market can stay in either zone for weeks.
How to read the chart
At the top, the bitcoin price on a logarithmic scale. At the bottom, the index as a 7-day average, with the extreme fear zone (below 25) and the extreme greed zone (above 75).
Compare the time spent in each zone with the price at the same moment.
Worked example
From 7 February 2018 to 7 October 2026, the index spent 675 days in extreme fear (below 25) and 282 days in extreme greed (above 75). On 7 October 2026, it stands at 71.
In Metena
The Fear & Greed Index is available as a condition in a Metena strategy, for example “double the week’s purchase when the index is below 20”.
Notify me at launchRelated terms
- Volatility
- The size of an asset’s price swings. High volatility means large moves, up as well as down.
- Funding rate
- A periodic payment between buyers and sellers on perpetual contracts. Strongly positive, it indicates leveraged buyers dominate and the market is stretched.
- MVRV
- The ratio between an asset’s market value and its realized value, meaning the price at which each unit last moved. A high value signals holders sitting on large unrealized gains.
- DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging)
- Investing a fixed amount at regular intervals, for example every week, whatever the price. It smooths your entry price and stops you hunting for the “right moment”.
Put these ideas into practice.
Write your strategy in a few minutes: Metena analyses it when you ask and explains each term in context.
Notify me at launchEducational content. It is not investment advice. Crypto-assets carry a high risk that can go as far as the total loss of capital.