Bitcoin Reclaims $91K But Extreme Fear Persists

• Bitcoin climbed 4.5% to $91,465, leading a 2.96% rebound in the broader crypto market.
• Extreme fear persists, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index at 15 for seven consecutive days.
• Institutional interest, macro factors, and Monad’s mainnet launch are fueling cautious optimism.

Bitcoin led a market-wide rebound today, climbing 4.5% to $91,465, its strongest daily performance in weeks. The broader crypto market rose 2.96%, reversing part of its recent decline.

This upswing comes despite persistent investor anxiety, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index locked at 15/100 (“Extreme Fear”) for seven consecutive days—its longest stretch below 20 since April 2025.

Although sentiment remains cautious, today’s rally reflects a combination of institutional developments, macroeconomic events, and growing contrarian interest following oversold conditions.

Related: Bitcoin Rebounds to $89,200, XRP Soars 11%, Global Market Tops $3.02T

Bitcoin Regains Strength Above $90K

Bitcoin’s rebound was largely driven by renewed institutional interest. Nasdaq’s ISE plans to raise trading limits on BlackRock’s IBIT ETF options to one million contracts, putting Bitcoin derivatives on par with top stocks like Apple.

With IBIT holding over $86 billion in Bitcoin, analysts say this could add more than $5 billion in derivatives activity, boosting demand for the underlying asset.

Improving macro conditions also played a role. Lower inflation expectations increased the likelihood of a Fed rate cut in December, while falling Treasury yields pushed money into riskier assets. This allowed Bitcoin to recover the 4-hour EMA21 at $88,800 and briefly reach $92,000 before consolidating.

Miner margins fell to 4.9%, a level historically associated with cycle lows, as weaker miners reduced selling. Traders are now watching for a clear break above $92K, which could trigger a short squeeze following recent liquidations.

Altcoin Market Attempts a Rebound

The broader crypto market rose 0.6% over the past 24 hours after a challenging week. The main driver was Monad’s mainnet launch, which sparked a rotation into high-performance Layer-1s.

Its MON token jumped 48% on debut, supported by a $105 million airdrop, major exchange listings, and over 18,000 smart contracts deployed on the first day. Network activity pushed TVL to $120 million and daily active addresses to 153,000, boosting confidence in new execution-layer projects despite the broader market slump.

Related: Monad (MON) Surges 42% as Mainnet Launch Goes Live With $105M Airdrop

Derivatives also helped stabilize altcoins. Perpetual futures volume rose 25%, open interest increased moderately, and liquidations fell sharply, easing forced selling. However, heavy leverage still leaves the market vulnerable to sudden swings.

Sentiment: Extreme Fear Holds the Market in Place

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index remains at 15, marking one of the longest periods of extreme fear this year. This reflects lingering concerns from recent monthly losses and weak ETF inflows.

Social sentiment is neutral to bearish, as institutional buying—such as Texas’ recent Bitcoin ETF purchase—clashes with retail concerns over altcoin volatility and liquidity. Derivatives data show rising open interest but falling funding rates, suggesting uncertainty rather than strong conviction.

What Industry Experts Are Saying

Experts are generally constructive but divided. BitMex founder Arthur Hayes believes Bitcoin has likely bottomed near $80,000, citing improving liquidity trends.

Analyst Anthony Pompliano describes Bitcoin’s current 30% drop from its all-time high as a “healthy reset,” driven by shifts in holders and year-end trading patterns.

Pompliano sees signs of market stabilization. With the Fear & Greed Index hitting rare lows—8 for Bitcoin and 6 for equities last week—he believes fear-driven selling has likely flushed leverage from the market. He expects sideways trading followed by a gradual upward grind, which is currently unfolding.

Meanwhile, crypto communities are focused on Monad’s strong debut and Solana’s ecosystem growth.

Bitcoin Outlook

BitMine chair Tom Lee has tempered his $250,000 Bitcoin prediction for 2025, now calling it only a “maybe” that BTC will surpass its October all-time high of $126,200 by year-end. He still expects Bitcoin to exceed $100,000 and believes some of its “best days” could come in the final 35 days of 2025.

For now, the market is balancing cautious sentiment against early signs of renewed strength. A decisive break above $95K would be the first major signal that bullish momentum is returning.