Crypto Fear and Greed Falls to 67 After $434M Liquidations
Crypto Fear and Greed fell to 67 on 3 October, its lowest since 18 September, as leveraged longs were flushed out. What it means for Indian investors.
The Crypto Fear and Greed Index fell to 67 on Saturday, 3 October 2026, down from 72 on Friday and 74 on Thursday, its lowest reading since 18 September. The drop followed Friday's failed push above $87,000, which left about $434 million of leveraged crypto positions liquidated in 24 hours. The index is still in the "Greed" zone. At 12:30 UTC (6 pm IST) bitcoin was about $84,860 (about ₹81.8 lakh), down about 2% over 24 hours. The live Bitcoin price in INR is ₹8,096,152.
Key takeaways
- Fear and Greed: 67 on 3 October, from 74 on 1 October. Still "Greed", but cooling.
- About $434 million of futures positions were force-closed in the 24 hours to Saturday morning; roughly three-quarters were bets on rising prices.
- Bitcoin fell about 2% over 24 hours to about $84,860, after trading between $83,888 and $87,220. Ether lost about 2.5% to about $2,683.
- The biggest falls came in tokens facing new supply or after big runs: DoubleZero (down about 22%), Ethena and NEAR. XRP, Dogecoin and Cardano lost about 3.5% to 4.5%.
- Quant went the other way, up about 3.6% on the day and about 68% over seven days.
How the index moved this week
The index scores market mood from 0 (extreme fear) to 100 (extreme greed), combining price volatility, trading volume and momentum, social media activity, bitcoin's share of the market and search trends. Readings above 55 count as greed. Track it daily on our Fear and Greed Index chart.
| Date (2026) | Reading | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| 27 September | 70 | Greed |
| 28 September | 74 | Greed |
| 29 September | 73 | Greed |
| 30 September | 71 | Greed |
| 1 October | 74 | Greed |
| 2 October | 72 | Greed |
| 3 October | 67 | Greed |
The index last sat lower on 18 September, at 56. In mid-September it dipped to 50 before the late-September rally pushed it back into the 70s.
What cooled the mood
Bitcoin jumped above $87,000 on Friday after weak US jobs data, then gave the move back within hours as US bond yields rose again. Traders who had bought with borrowed money were caught out. In the 24 hours to about 06:00 UTC on Saturday, roughly $434 million of leveraged positions were liquidated across exchanges, about $322 million of them longs. More than one lakh traders were affected, and the largest single liquidation was an ether position of about $4.5 million on Binance. Our guide to how liquidation works explains why borrowed positions get closed automatically.
A flush like this lowers sentiment scores because volatility jumps and social chatter turns cautious. By 6 pm IST on Saturday, bitcoin was trading near $84,860, about 2% below where it stood a day earlier, just before the jobs data.
Altcoins: the biggest moves
| Coin | Price, 3 Oct 12:30 UTC | 24 hours | What is behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| DoubleZero (2Z) | About $0.046 | -22.5% | Follows a large token unlock on 2 October |
| Ethena (ENA) | About $0.23 | -6.2% | Investor tokens unlock on 5 October |
| Zcash (ZEC) | About $1,308 | -5.8% | Fell with the wider market |
| NEAR Protocol (NEAR) | About $4.65 | -4.9% | Pullback after a gain of about 138% in 30 days |
| XRP | About $1.49 | -3.6% | Fell with the wider market |
| Ether (ETH) | About $2,683 | -2.5% | Followed bitcoin lower |
| Solana (SOL) | About $119 | -2.3% | Followed bitcoin lower |
| Quant (QNT) | About $255 | +3.6% | Bounced after a swing between about $225 and $270 |
Quant bucked the trend. It is up about 68% over seven days and close to four times its price of a month ago, after the run we covered in Quant's 4x week. NEAR is down about 8% over seven days and has given back part of the gains that followed the launch of the first US spot NEAR fund (see Bitwise NEAR ETF); separately, a $3.8 million exploit on the NEAR Intents trading layer on 1 October was fully returned a day later. DoubleZero's fall follows the unlock in our 2Z and SUI unlock report. Ethena fell about three times as much as bitcoin ahead of Monday's release; track it on our Ethena price in INR page.
What it means for Indian investors
- Greed at 67 is not a sell signal on its own. The index is best used as a contrarian check: readings of extreme greed above 75 have sometimes come near short-term tops, and extreme fear near bottoms. Our explainer on using the Fear and Greed Index shows how.
- Leverage cuts both ways. Most of Friday's liquidations hit buyers who used borrowed money. If you trade futures on an Indian app, keep leverage low and always set a stop.
- Steady buying smooths the swings. A fixed monthly amount, as in rupee cost averaging, avoids buying everything at a spike like Friday's.
What to watch next
- Weekend trading is usually thinner, so moves can be sharper on low volume.
- Ethena's investor unlock on Monday, 5 October.
- The RBI's policy decision and the US Fed minutes, both on Wednesday, 7 October.
FAQ
What is the Crypto Fear and Greed Index today?
It read 67, or "Greed", on 3 October 2026. That was down from 72 on 2 October and 74 on 1 October, and the lowest reading since 18 September.
Why did the Fear and Greed Index fall?
Bitcoin's failed rally above $87,000 on 2 October triggered about $434 million of liquidations, mostly of leveraged long positions. Higher volatility and more cautious social media activity pulled the score down.
Is 67 on the Fear and Greed Index good or bad?
It means the market is optimistic but not euphoric. Readings above 75 signal extreme greed, which has sometimes come before short-term pullbacks.
This article is AI-assisted, educational and general in nature. It is not financial advice and never a guarantee of profit. Every trade is at your own risk on your own exchange. See our risk disclosure and editorial policy.
