CRYPTO 101 Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title:

Crypto Rundown: Fear & Greed Index RECORD, Google Trends Shocking Data, Technical Analysis Recap
Hosts: Bryce Paul & Brendan Viehman
Date: February 13, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into the heightened volatility in the crypto markets, focusing on the unprecedented low readings of the Fear & Greed Index, surprising trends from Google search data, technical analysis of current price action, and the implications of recent big-name partnerships and platform developments. The hosts challenge prevailing panic, review historical context, and decode whether this cycle truly is “different.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Market: Extreme Fear vs. Fundamentals

• Fear & Greed Index at Record Lows

  • The crypto Fear & Greed Index hit an all-time low of 5, marking a level of “extreme fear” unseen in previous cycles.
  • Both hosts discuss whether current market conditions justify this reading.
    • “We've been in extreme fear now for a week plus. And... we're at one year lows. Dating back to all the other different bear markets we've experienced going back to 2018.” – [A, 04:37]

• Mismatch: Fundamentals Remain Strong

  • Despite the panic, fundamental data shows record transaction volume on Bitcoin, ATH users and low gas fees for Ethereum, and explosive growth on Solana and HyperLiquid.
  • Institutional involvement continues to rise (SEC engagement, Davos discussions).
    • “Bitcoin doing more transactions than MasterCard and Visa, Ethereum hitting all time high active users... massive crypto infrastructure is in the works... and you just look at it... and you’re like, should this be at the lowest point of fear?” – [B, 05:59]

Notable Quote

“I have a hard time justifying that. And I think that what we've seen here is crypto become oversold because of panic selling and not because of what is actually reflected through the fundamentals.” – Brendan Viehman [09:23]

2. Historical Comparison & What Usually Happens Next

• Hosts compare this fear cycle to historical bottoms (FTX, COVID, Mt. Gox, 2018 crash).

  • “If you would have bought when the Fear and greed index was a 9 during the COVID crash... you would have been really happy... The same goes for a lot of these.” – [B, 13:23]

• Discuss the recurring assertion of “this time it’s different”—and generally conclude that history suggests otherwise, at least for large-cap recovery.

  • “Why should this time be any different? When I would argue that we've seen worse things in the past.” – [B, 13:23]

• Altcoins May Diverge: Not all altcoins recover in each cycle; big cap cryptos historically do.

  • “Will every single altcoin that you love and invested in recover... I'd say the answer there is no.” – [B, 16:50]

Notable Quote

“People always like to say, oh, but this time it's different. This time it's different because of X, Y and Z. I've heard that every single time.” – Brendan Viehman [13:23]

3. Collective & Personal Sentiment

• Despite record-low sentiment readings, hosts feel less scared than during FTX or COVID.

  • “I just, I personally felt way worse during FTX and some other times in the market.” – [A, 10:44]

• Emphasize the importance of psychological and structural cycles.

Notable Moment

• Bryce credits the podcast community and expert guests with boosting his conviction during past drawdowns, underlining the importance of informed, collective research. [20:37]

4. Technical Analysis Recap

• Current Price Action and Key Levels

  • Bitcoin rallying back to ~$69K.
  • Price action tracing familiar cycle lows; technical indicators (RSI, MACD) at or near historic lows.
    • “The one day MACD… lowest point it's ever been. Both on the one day timescales fear and greed index right alongside that lowest point it's ever been.” – [B, 05:59]

• Market Structure & Probabilities

  • Price hovering at major historic support ($60-69K).
  • Technicals (MACD, RSI, 200-week MA) signal bottoming as in past cycles, but lag always expected.
    • “Historically, when we've hit these areas, it's been really, really good opportunities.” – [B, 35:25]

• One More Flush Possible

  • Watch for bullish divergence on a final leg down; this would likely present major opportunity.
    • “If we do see bitcoin roll over towards the lows... so long as there is less strength than what we saw last time... that tends to present a pretty screaming buy opportunity.” – [B, 41:04]

Notable Quotes

“The real money is made after the crash has happened. Everyone's always more comfortable buying while it's high... always the most afraid to buy when it's low.” – Brendan Viehman [25:03]

“Almost all of the signs are firing, saying... if it has not bottomed, it is getting mighty close...” – Brendan Viehman [35:25]

5. Google Trends Insights

• Contrary to myth, Google search interest for “bitcoin” and “bitcoin price” remains strong—spiking during “is bitcoin dead” headlines.
  • “I kind of like this. It kind of refers back to the bitcoin dead chart that we pull up sometimes. People are loving the demise of it and googling it and salivating at watching it drop.” – [A, 26:57]

Notable Quote

“Capitulation is usually the final phase. Everyone says you need full capitulation before the market bottoms.” – Brendan Viehman [28:43]

6. Big Industry News & Platform Developments

Uniswap and BlackRock Integration

• Uniswap surged 60% intraday after BlackRock enabled DeFi trading via Uniswap on its BUIDL fund.
  • “Uniswap Labs and BlackRock... strategic integration... it's the fundamentals of the integration of these legacy banks...” – [A, 43:23]
  • BlackRock’s BUIDL fund is an on-chain money market with several billion in assets; the collaboration signals deeper institutional DeFi engagement. Franklin Templeton, JPMorgan, and others also cited as working on similar initiatives.

HyperLiquid's Meteoric Growth

• HyperLiquid now rivals or exceeds major exchanges like Coinbase in trading volume and performance—despite being inaccessible to US users.
  • Highlighted as an “alpha” the Crypto 101 community had discussed for months.
  • “They're not even like the next big thing. They are now the big thing.” – [B, 50:34]

Solana’s Institutional Play

• Citigroup ($2.6T AUM) announced new projects on Solana, validating its place as a future institutional blockchain (Franklin Templeton podcast sneak peek: Solana is their “top choice”).

7. Hot Takes & Community Debate

Coinbase Super Bowl Ad

• Hosts and community generally disliked the ad:

  • “I think it's one of the worst ads that they've ever done.” – [B, 53:59]
  • Seen as tone-deaf in a bear market with all-time low sentiment; not the marketing leadership Coinbase is known for.

• Coincident with reports of Brian Armstrong (Coinbase CEO) selling shares ahead of earnings, which hosts found “not a good look.”

Real Estate Tokenization (Proppy)

• Briefly discuss “Proppy” and real estate blockchain use cases; hosts skeptical of small startups conquering this heavy-regulated sector.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Should this be at the lowest point of fear that it has ever been with all that in mind? And I have a hard time justifying that.” – Brendan [09:23]
• “If you do see bitcoin roll over towards the lows... so long as there is less strength than what we saw last time... that tends to present a pretty screaming buy opportunity.” – Brendan [41:04]
• “They're not even like the next big thing. They are now the big thing.” – Brendan [50:34]
• “I think it's one of the worst ads that they've ever done. They usually do some of the best ads in all of crypto.” – Brendan [53:59]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:37] Market overview & Fear/Greed Index at record lows
• [09:23] Fundamentals vs. Fear: Are we oversold?
• [13:23] Historical bottom comparison & lessons
• [20:37] Role of community and informed conviction during cycles
• [25:03] Technical metrics: buying at historical lows (RSI, MACD)
• [31:06] Bitcoin and major support levels; live technical analysis
• [41:04] What to watch for: bull divergence & final flush possibility
• [42:41] Uniswap/BlackRock news and implications
• [47:51] HyperLiquid’s mainstream emergence and volume stats
• [53:23] Coinbase Super Bowl Ad critique; community reactions
• [60:04] Institutional moves: Citigroup & Solana
• [63:52] Real estate tokenization (Proppy) discussion

Tone & Language

Conversational, transparent, and occasionally irreverent; hosts interweave personal experience, technical details, and community banter with clear attributions and a focus on actionable market insight.

Conclusion

Despite historic lows in sentiment, Crypto 101’s hosts see this moment as a likely inflection point, advocating a rational, historically-informed approach instead of capitulation. They highlight that every cycle brings a new narrative, but the underlying building continues—across DeFi, institutional adoption, and blockchain infrastructure. The message: stay engaged, scrutinize fundamentals over hype, and remember that fear can bring opportunity.

Recommended Action: Subscribe for more real-time rundowns, technical analysis, and industry insider interviews—especially as the market tests nerves and resolves in equal measure.