Bitcoin bearish social chatter reaches 5-week high: Santiment

Social media bearishness around Bitcoin has reached its highest level since the end of February, according to crypto sentiment platform Santiment.

“FUD has crept back in with the community showing a key lack of optimism,” Santiment said in an X post on Saturday, adding that it is “usually a common ingredient for prices rebounding.” 

The data comes from a large sample of crypto-focused social media accounts and tracks the ratio of bullish to bearish Bitcoin (BTC) comments across X, Reddit, and other social media platforms.

Markets move in “opposite direction,” says Santiment

On Saturday, the ratio of bullish to bearish Bitcoin comments stood at 0.81, the lowest level since Feb. 28.

Bitcoin holders often look at broader market sentiment to guide buying and selling decisions. When sentiment is low, most expect more downside, and when optimism picks up, traders start to expect further upside.

However, Santiment said the market often moves in the opposite way. “Markets typically move in the opposite direction of the crowd's expectations,” Santiment said. “A high level of FUD like this is a good sign that things can turn positive sooner rather than later,” Santiment added.

Bitcoin is trading at $67,100 at the time of publication, down 5.53% over the past 30 days, according to CoinMarketCap.

Santiment pointed to the US CLARITY Act, which is a highly anticipated piece of legislation that the crypto industry is watching closely, as a potential “what-if” catalyst holding back Bitcoin’s price. 

Crypto market sentiment stays in “Extreme Fear”

On Wednesday, Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal said the legislation is “moving toward” a markup hearing in the US Senate Banking Committee and could eventually move to a floor vote if senators resolve the stablecoin yield dispute and schedule a markup.

Related: Rich Bitcoin traders lost $337M daily in first quarter of 2026

Other indicators suggest that investors are taking a cautious approach to the crypto market.

The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures overall crypto market sentiment, has stayed within “Extreme Fear” territory, posting a score of 12 on Sunday.

Magazine: Bitcoin 85% crashes ‘done,’ CLARITY Act speculation mounts: Hodler’s Digest, Mar. 29 – April 4