The global cryptocurrency market capitalization dropped 1.4% to $2.39 trillion on Feb 18, with total trading volume at $94.4 billion. Bitcoin (BTC) dominance remained high at 56.1%, while Ethereum (ETH) held 9.98%. BTC traded at $67,183, down 2.49% in 24 hours with volume of $34.25 billion; ETH traded at $1,975, down 1.29% with volume of $20.79 billion.
Fear and Greed Index Reaches Extreme Fear
According to Alternative Me, the Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropped to 8, down from 10 yesterday, 11 last week, and 44 last month. This level signals extreme fear, which historically often precedes market rebounds but also reflects deep short-term uncertainty.
Altcoin Divergence: ORCA Rises 21%, PIPPIN Leads Small Caps
Top gainers included Orca (ORCA) up 21.45% to $1.28, Morpho (MORPHO) up 11.19% to $1.51, and Pi (PI) up 7.22% to $0.1861. Losers included Merlin Chain (MERL) down 2.36% to $0.063. Stablecoin market cap stood at $308 billion, down 0.3%; DeFi market cap fell 1.8% to $50 billion, representing 2.1% of global crypto market cap.
Key Market News: ETF Filings and Regulatory Updates
Bitwise filed for a prediction markets ETF tracking the 2028 U.S. presidential and midterm contracts, alongside launching PredictionShares. Michael Nadeau of The DeFi Report noted that Coinbase derived 19% of its 2025 revenue from the USDC interest partnership with Circle. Pumpfun will require creators to permanently lock the choice between Creator Fees or Trader Cashback before launch to prevent misuse. Peter Thiel's Founders Fund fully exited ETHZilla Corporation by end-2025, filing zero ownership. BlackRock's Ethereum ETF filing revealed a 0.25% annual expense ratio, with BlackRock receiving 18% of staking rewards. The CFTC chairman stated that a crypto structure bill is near approval, potentially stabilizing market regulation.
Comparison with Feb 17: Market Cap Declines, Sentiment Weakens
Compared to Feb 17 (market cap $2.43T, BTC near $68.8K, ETH above $2K), today's figures show a $40B decline in capitalization and a Fear & Greed drop from 10 to 8, indicating lower momentum and increased short-term uncertainty.