Santiment Warns Retail FOMO Could Return if Bitcoin Hits $92,000
Santiment has issued a warning that retail fear of missing out (FOMO) could reemerge if Bitcoin climbs above $92,000. As the cryptocurrency's price nears $90,000 in early 2026, social sentiment shows its strongest bullish spike in six months. Bitcoin's social sentiment reached a near 2:1 positive-to-negative ratio on January 1, marking the most optimistic reading since mid-2025. However, analysts caution that this enthusiasm might reflect a holiday return of investors rather than deep conviction.
On-chain activity highlights that whales have been accumulating approximately 65,500 BTC since November 30, with 55,400 BTC added in the past two weeks—the highest whale-share since November 10. MicroStrategy and Michael Saylor-related activity are identified as possible drivers behind this accumulation, with expectations of weekend purchases potentially triggering a retail jump into year-end buying. Retail behavior has been mixed; smaller wallets holding less than 0.01 BTC continued adding to holdings during volatility, contrasting with the whale buying pattern.
Key market metrics reveal that the 30-day market-to-realized value is near breakeven, indicating a balanced market. The 365-day metric shows long-term holders are down 11.5% from October's $126,000 high. Network growth remains strong, though notable profit-taking occurred on January 2.
Santiment projects sideways trading through the weekend with more data available by Monday. Possible upside could come from institutional buying, followed by either downside pressure or continued consolidation depending on broader market conditions. Analysts warn that a break above $92,000 without excessive retail enthusiasm might trigger a sharper correction should speculative fever peak, suggesting the Bitcoin rally may be fragile if dominated by FOMO.
The current sentiment spike appears to be Bitcoin-specific, as Ethereum and XRP readings remain more neutral.
