Bitcoin: Crypto Sentiment Index Falls to 56 From 82 in August

The CoinMarketCap crypto sentiment index shows 56 out of 100 on October 13, 2026. It is in the neutral zone. The Alternative.me index reaches 57, but remains classified in the greed zone. This divergence occurs while US spot Bitcoin ETFs went from $241.1 million in net inflows to $678.9 million in net outflows within a week. Yet these flows are not included in the calculation of either index.

Bitcoin: Where does the crypto sentiment index stand in October 2026?

The CoinMarketCap crypto sentiment index is 56 out of 100 on October 13, 2026, compared to 57 for Alternative.me. CoinMarketCap classifies this level as neutral, whereas Alternative.me still places it in the greed zone.

The daily series from Alternative.me shows:

• 73 on October 6, 2026;
• 61 on October 11, 2026;
• 69 on October 12, 2026;
• 57 on October 13, 2026.

The drop between October 12 and 13 thus reaches 12 points.

A sentiment index measures the dominant mood of the crypto market based on several indicators. The closer the score is to 100, the more optimism or greed dominates. Conversely, fear is strong if it approaches 0. Alone, it does not allow predicting the bitcoin price direction.

What does a crypto sentiment index of 56 mean for bitcoin?

A score of 56 suggests a less euphoric crypto market. However, it does not constitute a buy, sell, or reversal signal for bitcoin. In reality, this index describes the market mood at a given moment. It gives neither a certain direction nor a price target.

The CoinMarketCap index combines five data families:

• the price momentum of the top ten cryptocurrencies excluding stablecoins;
• the implied volatility of bitcoin and Ethereum;
• the put/call ratio;
• the weight of bitcoin versus stablecoins;
• search and engagement data specific to CoinMarketCap.

Alternative.me follows a different logic. It remains more focused on bitcoin. Its index notably takes into account:

• volatility;
• momentum and volumes;
• social networks;
• bitcoin dominance;
• Google Trends.

Criterion	CoinMarketCap	Alternative.me
Score on October 13	56/100	57/100
Classification	Neutral	Greed
Scope	Top ten cryptos excluding stablecoins	Bitcoin
Data taken into account	Momentum, implied volatility, derivatives, market composition, engagement	Volatility, momentum, volumes, social networks, dominance, searches
Precaution	Does not alone predict the BTC price	Does not alone predict the BTC price

Why doesn’t the crypto sentiment index reflect Bitcoin ETF flows?

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $241.1 million in net inflows from September 28 to October 2, 2026. According to Farside Investors data, they show $678.9 million in net outflows from October 5 to 9. October 7 alone accounts for $484.9 million in net outflows. Including the session of October 12, the cumulative October net outflows reached $451.7 million.

The CoinMarketCap and Alternative.me indices do not allow for concluding whether the bitcoin price will rise or fall. They also do not directly provide information about the number or profile of investors. Hence the interest in separately analyzing the ETF flows, monetary policy, and other market variables.

To follow the evolution of crypto sentiment, the ideal is therefore to compare the two indices over time rather than isolate a daily score. This trend should then be confronted with Bitcoin ETF flows and other market data. The next macroeconomic event to watch closely is the FOMC meeting scheduled for October 27 and 28, 2026.