Fear Index (VIX)
Expected volatility of the US equity market, a thermometer of mood: calm versus panic.
The VIX (CBOE Volatility Index) measures the expected 30-day volatility of the S&P 500, derived from option prices. It's called the fear index because it rises when investors are scared and buy protection. A low VIX (below 15) means calm and risk appetite, historically favorable for crypto. A high one (above 25) or one spiking sharply is panic and risk-off, which often precedes sell-offs in crypto too. Crucially, the VIX doesn't indicate market direction, only the scale of the expected move and the level of fear. It is a macro thermometer, not a buy or sell signal. In crypto, read it as a risk backdrop for BTC and ETH: a calm VIX is favorable, a spiking VIX is a time for caution.
In plain words
Shows how scared stock-market investors are. A low VIX = calm (good for crypto), high or spiking = panic (time for caution).
Example
A VIX spiking from 14 to 30 in a day is a sharp risk-off, crypto is usually under pressure then. A VIX sustained below 15 is a calm, risk-friendly backdrop.
Also known as: vix, indeks strachu, indeks zmienności, cboe vix