Bitcoin News Today: Crypto's Fear Fades as Whales and Institutions Bet on $80K Floor

The cryptocurrency market remains in a state of "extreme fear" as the Fear & Greed Index fell to 15 on November 26, according to Lookonchain. This reading, down from 20 the previous day, underscores persistent volatility and cautious sentiment, with the index calculated using a composite of metrics including market volume, social media activity, and Bitcoin dominance. Despite this, other developments suggest a nuanced landscape where institutional adoption and strategic accumulation are emerging as counterpoints to the prevailing fear.

Bitcoin whales, defined as entities holding over 10,000 BTC, have resumed buying activity for the first time since August, signaling renewed confidence at key support levels. Data from Glassnode shows these large holders now have an accumulation trend score of 0.8, indicating strong net buying. This aligns with the $82,000 cost basis of U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs, suggesting market participants view the $80,000 range as a fair value. The shift follows months of distribution by large holders, who reduced positions as prices fluctuated between $80,000 and $100,000 in 2025.

Institutional infrastructure is also evolving to accommodate growing demand. Nasdaq ISE filed with the SEC to increase position limits for BlackRock's IBIT options from 250,000 to 1 million contracts, a move that would align the product with the liquidity tiers of major equity ETFs like EEM and FXI. The exchange argued that even a fully exercised one million contract position would represent only 7.5% of IBIT's float and 0.284% of all bitcoin in existence, minimizing systemic risk.

This development highlights the rapid integration of crypto-linked products into mainstream financial markets.

Meanwhile, Binance is expanding its services to ultra-high-net-worth investors through a bespoke offering, while regulatory scrutiny continues. A lawsuit from victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks accuses Binance of inadequate anti-money-laundering controls, citing prior admissions by the exchange of failing to report transactions involving sanctioned entities. Blockchain analytics firms like Chainalysis and Elliptic have noted that confirmed Hamas crypto fundraising totals are in the low millions, challenging the scale of claims in litigation.

The interplay between fear and cautious optimism is further reflected in product innovations. Truther, a crypto payments firm, announced a non-custodial USDT Visa card for El Salvador, allowing users to spend stablecoins directly from self-custody wallets. The product, which avoids preloading or custodial requirements, aims to expand to Argentina, Mexico, and other markets by early 2026. Such initiatives underscore the sector's push to bridge the gap between crypto and traditional finance, even as market sentiment remains volatile.