Bitcoin Sentiment Hits Extreme Fear as Price Rebounds to $78,500

Bitcoin is trading near $78,500 after briefly dipping to $74,600, following a sharp –16% decline since January 28. While price action remains volatile, sentiment data suggests the market has entered an extreme fear zone that closely mirrors conditions seen during the November 2025 bottom.

This moment matters structurally because the rebound is occurring alongside a decisive shift in social sentiment, where bearish narratives have overtaken bullish commentary for the first time in nearly two months.

Short-Term Price Action and Sentiment Shift

According to the chart provided by Santiment, Bitcoin’s recent sell-off pushed price as low as $74.6K before triggering a rebound toward $78.3K. The bounce followed an acceleration in retail-driven selling, visible through a surge in negative social media commentary.

The chart shows negative sentiment (red bars) spiking sharply into late January, while the positive-to-negative sentiment ratio (yellow line) dropped to levels last seen around November 4 and November 21, both of which coincided with local price bottoms. Notably, bearish social media posts have outpaced bullish posts for the first time in two months, marking a clear sentiment regime shift.

Immediate support is defined near $74,600, the recent local low. As long as this level holds, the current rebound remains structurally intact. On the upside, near-term resistance sits around $78,000–$78,500, where price is currently consolidating after the relief bounce.

Historical Context From Santiment Data

Santiment’s chart highlights two prior instances – November 4 and November 21 – where similarly extreme levels of fear and negative commentary preceded relief rallies. In both cases, price stabilized shortly after sentiment reached peak pessimism.

The current setup closely resembles those earlier periods. Social data indicates that retail sentiment is now as bearish as it has been since the November 21 crash, suggesting that much of the emotional selling may already be exhausted. Historically, such conditions have aligned with short-term reversals rather than trend continuation.

Scenarios and Risk

• Relief continuation scenario:

If Bitcoin can maintain acceptance above $74,600 and continue holding above $76,000, the current rebound may extend further as selling pressure subsides. Sustained trade above $78,500 would strengthen the case that a short-term sentiment-driven low is in place.

• Downside risk scenario:

A failure to hold $74,600, followed by acceptance below that level, would invalidate the current relief structure. In that case, sentiment alone would no longer be sufficient to support price, and further downside exploration would remain possible.

Takeaway

Bitcoin’s recent rebound is unfolding against a backdrop of extreme bearish sentiment, with social media fear reaching levels historically associated with local bottoms. While sentiment extremes do not guarantee reversals, the alignment between retail capitulation and price stabilization mirrors previous relief setups observed in November.

For now, structure suggests a sentiment-driven rebound is underway, but confirmation will depend on Bitcoin’s ability to defend recent lows rather than the persistence of bearish narratives. As the data shows once again, markets tend to move against the crowd — but only once price confirms it.

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