Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Greed Peaks as Ethereum Gains Quiet Institutional Momentum

The cryptocurrency market is currently witnessing diverging investor sentiments between Bitcoin and Ethereum. According to Santiment’s latest analysis, Bitcoin’s social media-driven "greed" sentiment has reached a peak, aligning with its all-time high and recent local top. This has raised concerns among investors that the market may be entering speculative overbloat territory, potentially foreshadowing a correction [2]. In contrast, Ethereum, despite outperforming Bitcoin over the past three months, has shown muted bullishness, with retail speculation remaining relatively low [1].

The contrast in sentiment highlights a possible market shift. Santiment notes that Ethereum’s subdued retail enthusiasm could work in its favor, as price movements tend to diverge from expectations when market euphoria is absent. The firm’s analysts suggest that this dynamic could drive a relative rise in Ethereum’s performance in the near term [1]. The muted enthusiasm is also seen as a potential indicator of a more sustainable rally, especially as Ethereum continues to attract institutional interest. Standard Chartered recently raised its 2025 price target for Ethereum to $7,500, underscoring its growing role in the stablecoin economy [2].

Bitcoin’s recent price action reflects a mixed trend. While it reached a peak above $124,000, its 24-hour performance as of August 16, 2025, showed a 1.39% decline, and the 7-day gain was limited to 0.68%. With a market cap of $2.34 trillion and a circulating supply nearing 19.9 million coins, Bitcoin’s 90-day performance stands at a 13.51% increase [2]. Despite its current valuation, sentiment has tempered slightly, with the Crypto Fear & Greed Index dropping from 68 to 59, moving into neutral territory [1]. Max Shannon of Bitwise noted that the sharp rise in the crypto asset sentiment index—jumping from 0.23 to 0.91 in one week—indicates a shift in investor focus from Bitcoin to altcoins [1].

Retail-driven behavior is increasingly shaping market dynamics. Google search volumes for Ethereum and altcoins have reached multiyear highs, suggesting a broad rotation of interest away from Bitcoin. Analysts associate this trend with “classic froth-infused” market cycles, where speculative activity in smaller assets often follows a peak in Bitcoin [1]. However, the altcoin season index remains below the 75 threshold, indicating that a full-scale altcoin rally is still not underway [1].

Ethereum’s muted bullishness has been a consistent feature, despite its recent gains of over 40%. This contrasts with Bitcoin’s peak greed, which has drawn comparisons to prior cycles where similar sentiment levels preceded price corrections [2]. The Coincu research team notes that Ethereum’s subdued retail enthusiasm could create opportunities for upside movement, particularly with institutional inflows and ongoing technological and regulatory advancements supporting its long-term case [2].

As the market absorbs recent developments, the focus remains on whether Bitcoin’s highs are driven by genuine demand or speculative frenzy. The next few months may determine whether this buyer exhaustion leads to a broader correction or a more diversified rally across the crypto market [3].

Source:

[1] Analysts see Bitcoin buyer exhaustion as retail shifts to ... (https://www.coinglass.com/ru/news/534794)

[2] Mute price prediction chart for 2025 and beyond (https://www.bitget.com/price/mute/price-prediction)

[3] Ethereum Price Prediction: Delay Ahead For New ATH? (https://cryptoweekly.co/news/ethereum-price-prediction-ath-delay/)