The original Crypto Fear & Greed Index (published by Alternative.me) is the most widely cited Bitcoin sentiment gauge, but it is not the only one. CoinMarketCap publishes its own version, and several data platforms run comparable single-score sentiment tools. The Bitcoin Barometer is a different kind of alternative: instead of one blended sentiment score, it shows 8 individual indicators alongside the combined reading, so a reader can see what's driving the number.
Alternative.me — Crypto Fear & Greed Index
The original and most-referenced index, and Bitcoin-only — Alternative.me's own site states "the current index is for bitcoin only." Its published methodology combines six weighted inputs: volatility (25%), market momentum and trading volume (25%), social media activity (15%), survey results (15%, currently paused per their own site), Bitcoin's dominance of total crypto market cap (10%), and Google Trends search data (10%). The output is a single number from 0 (Extreme Fear) to 100 (Extreme Greed), updated daily. Source: Alternative.me's methodology page.
CoinMarketCap Fear and Greed Index
CoinMarketCap runs a separate index covering the broader crypto market, not Bitcoin alone — it analyzes price momentum across the top 10 non-stablecoin assets by market cap. Its other published inputs are implied volatility for Bitcoin and Ethereum, the Bitcoin/Ethereum options put/call ratio, and the Stablecoin Supply Ratio, alongside social and search trend data. The different input set and broader market scope are the two reasons it can read differently from Alternative.me's Bitcoin-only index on the same day. Source: CoinMarketCap's methodology page.
Other single-score sentiment tools
Several exchanges and data platforms publish their own Fear and Greed-style dashboards. Some compute an independent score from their own inputs; others simply republish the Alternative.me feed under their own branding. Check a given source's own methodology page before treating two "Fear and Greed" numbers as directly comparable.
How the Bitcoin Barometer differs
Rather than one blended score, the Bitcoin Barometer shows 8 indicators individually as gauges — Pi Cycle Top, Puell Multiple, NUPL, MVRV-Z Score, RSI, Mayer Multiple, Google Search Interest, and the Fear and Greed Index (sourced from Alternative.me, same index described above) — alongside two further signals used in the combined score but not shown as individual gauges. All of it is combined into one composite reading and zone (Chill, Neutral, Heated, Euphoric); the full weighting is public on the Methodology page. The appeal of the Barometer's design is being able to see which indicators are driving the combined reading, rather than only the final blended number.
Limitations
Every sentiment index on this page, ours included, describes current market mood using historical and current data. None of them predict future price movement, and none should be treated as a signal to buy, sell, or hold. They are data and education tools, not financial advice.
Sources
Alternative.me Crypto Fear & Greed Index methodology; CoinMarketCap Fear and Greed Index methodology; Bitcoin Barometer weighting and indicators on our own Methodology page.
Last updated: 2026-09-24 · Author: Nakamoto Notes
Conclusion
Alternative.me's index is Bitcoin-only; CoinMarketCap's covers the top 10 crypto assets. Both fold their inputs into a single number. The Bitcoin Barometer takes a different approach: 8 visible indicators plus 2 more feeding a combined score, so a reader can see which measure is driving the reading rather than only the final blended number. Which is more useful depends on whether a single at-a-glance number or a fuller breakdown fits how you want to look at the market.