Sentiment warned that FOMO could return if Bitcoin reaches $92,000
Crypto journalist
Anas Hasan
Crypto journalist
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Crypto analytics platform Santiment has warned that retail FOMO could emerge if Bitcoin rises above $92,000.
The warning comes as Bitcoin trades near $90,000 in early 2026, with social sentiment showing the biggest spike in bullishness in six months despite moderate trading volume in the post-holiday period.
Sentiment's head of content, Brian, said during the January 2 live broadcast that Bitcoin's approach to the psychological $90,000 threshold typically triggers retail buying pressure.
“Usually when we see something like 89.9K, there's at least a little retail push to hit that milestone,” he explained, noting that such moves often precede volatility, when limit selling and FOMO intensify.
Mixed signals as New Year's shopping begins
As 2026 unfolds, market data paints a complex picture.
Bitcoin's social volume remained flat with only a 0.06% change from last week, while Ethereum saw a slight increase of 1%.
Mid-cap altcoins have attracted more attention, with Dogecoin trading up 57% and Cardano up 19%, with retail interest likely to shift to smaller assets after what traders call a “late-2025 bloodbath.”
Sentiment's positive-to-negative sentiment ratio for Bitcoin reached nearly 2:1 on January 1, the highest reading since early October.
This signaled a reversal of bullish sentiment, which had been strong for more than six months, although analysts were wary of interpreting the move.
“I'm not too worried about a lot of FOMO at the moment,” Brian said, noting that the timing coincided with traders returning from holiday rather than genuine guilt.
The sentiment seems to be limited to Bitcoin, with Ethereum and XRP showing more neutral readings.
“High or above” mentions also outnumbered “low or below” references, bolstering optimism among retailers.
However, historical patterns suggest that extreme bearish sentiment often precedes corrections when markets move against public expectations.
Well stock provides a bullish foundation
On-chain metrics paint a more encouraging picture below the floor noise.
Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 Bitcoin accumulated approximately 65,500 BTC as of November 30, with 55,400 BTC added in just the past two weeks.
This represents the highest percentage of the supply caught by whales and sharks since November 10.
Maxim Balashevich, founder and CEO of Sentiment, suggested that the current price action may reflect MicroStrategy's expected weekend buying.
“There may be some players who play against Sailor,” he said. “Perhaps retailers can jump on the New Year's shopping bandwagon.”
The pattern of hoarding is at odds with retail behavior as small wallets holding less than 0.01 Bitcoin have continued to add to the ranks in recent volatility.
This simultaneous buying from both whales and retail investors creates uncertainty, as historical patterns favor a rally when large holders accumulate while small traders sell.
Choppy waters expected before directional movement
Sentiment analysts expect sideways trading into the weekend before clearer signs emerge.
“We will have to wait until Monday to get more information,” Balashevich said, noting that many US traders will be on vacation until next week.
Depending on the broader market conditions, fueled by speculation around institutional buying, a drop on Monday or continued consolidation will hold potential through Sunday.
The 30-day market-to-realized-value ratio sits near breakeven, while the 365-day measure shows long-term holdings down 11.5% from October's peak of 126,000.
Net gains remained strong late into the year as traders capitalized on a move toward $90,000, although profit-taking rose to a six-week high on Jan. 2.
Looking ahead, Santiment emphasizes monitoring whether Bitcoin can break above $92,000 without triggering excessive retail enthusiasm.
The platform data suggests that while whale stocks remain highly significant, a FOMO-driven rally could set the stage for a further correction after speculative fever rises above key resistance levels.
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