Derivatives and sentiment data show a fearful, range‑bound market

CoinDesk reports the Crypto Fear and Greed Index back in ‘extreme fear’ after prior liquidations wiped out overleveraged longs, and FXStreet/Coinglass data show rising open interest in selective names like Dogecoin as traders hunt for rebound plays. Overall, flows are light and ranges tight, with analysts repeatedly describing ‘a market waiting for a catalyst’ in the form of incoming U.S. data or central bank surprises.

Ethereum battles to hold $3K as leveraged longs unwind and whale positioning turns critical

ETH trades just above $3,000, off less than 1% intraday but still under pressure after a sharp drop earlier in the week triggered over $120M in liquidations and left a $537M whale long deeply underwater, according to AMBCrypto and CoinGlass data. On-chain metrics from CryptoQuant show whale realized prices converging toward spot—a rare setup that historically precedes either a major accumulation phase or a painful capitulation if $3K breaks.