March 26, 2026
46 Days of Extreme Fear: Why Panic Sellers Lose More Than Diamond Hands
By Matt Wheeler · March 26, 2026
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index hit 10 today. It's been stuck in Extreme Fear territory for 46 consecutive days — the longest streak since the FTX collapse in November 2022. Bitcoin is trading around $70,000, down 44% from its October high of $126,000. And retail investors are doing what they always do in moments like this: panic selling into the void.
What's Driving the Fear
The current selloff isn't just about crypto. A confluence of macro events has pushed risk assets across the board into retreat. The escalating US-Iran conflict over oil shipping lanes has triggered classic risk-off behavior. Bitcoin dropped to $68,200 on March 23 amid $400 million in crypto futures liquidations — overwhelmingly long positions.