Bitcoin (BTC) is testing investor nerves this week, trading above $95,000 while fear spreads through the crypto markets. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has tumbled into "Extreme Fear" territory, and over half a billion dollars in leveraged positions got wiped out in just 24 hours.
The institutional money is getting nervous too. Spot Bitcoin ETFs hemorrhaged $492.1 million in net outflows on Friday, while Ethereum (ETH) ETFs weren't far behind with $177.9 million heading for the exits.
A Correction, Not a Collapse
Before you panic-sell your crypto portfolio, some analysts are arguing this looks more like a speed bump than a cliff. Crypto trader Jelle suggested Bitcoin isn't necessarily entering a full-blown bear market but rather working through another corrective phase inside what's still a broader uptrend.
His read? Bitcoin could chop sideways through the end of the year, maybe dropping another 5% or so, before making another run at new highs. The key level to watch is $74,000. If Bitcoin breaks below that, forming a lower low, then we're talking about a genuine bearish market structure. Until then, it's just volatility being volatility.
Ted Pillows flagged something worth noting: Bitcoin's weekly Supertrend indicator just flipped red for the first time in nearly three years. That's the kind of technical signal that gets traders' attention.
Ethereum's Discount Window
Crypto trader Michael van de Poppe pointed out that Ethereum has corrected roughly 30% against Bitcoin, dropping into what he considers a strong accumulation zone. Despite Bitcoin suffering its worst week of 2025, Ethereum has held up comparatively well. Van de Poppe doesn't expect these discounted levels to stick around long.
Meanwhile, crypto trader Ray spotted a large cup-and-handle pattern forming on Solana's (SOL) chart. That's historically a bullish structure that could set the stage for new all-time highs once it completes. Crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez identified $2.15 as the critical support level for XRP (XRP). Hold that, and a move into the $2.40 to $2.70 range becomes more likely.
Here's where major cryptocurrencies stood:
Bitcoin: $95,624.91
Ethereum: $3,197.82
Solana (SOL): $142.14
XRP: $2.27
Meme Coins Feel the Squeeze
The meme-coin sector slipped 1.2% to $52.3 billion in market cap, reflecting the broader market caution. Cantonese Cat noted that Dogecoin's (DOGE) weekly candle closed directly on the 0.5 log Fibonacci retracement from its 2022 to 2024 bullish impulse. That's a historically significant support level in trending markets, for what it's worth.
Dogecoin: $0.1622
Shiba Inu (SHIB): $0.00009057
Whether this fear is justified or just another chapter in crypto's endless drama remains to be seen. But for now, the market seems content to sweat it out while traders watch those critical support levels.