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home / skills / openclaw / skills / fear-and-greed-index

fear-and-greed-index skill

/skills/arielcaba-dev/fear-and-greed-index

This skill anchors market sentiment using the Fear and Greed Index to gauge Extreme Fear or Extreme Greed and inform risk assessment.

npx playbooks add skill openclaw/skills --skill fear-and-greed-index

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (2)
SKILL.md
1.5 KB
---
name: fear-and-greed
description: Access the Alternative.me Crypto Fear & Greed Index. Use this tool to anchor your baseline market sentiment analysis, determining whether the broader retail market is in a state of Extreme Fear (capitulation risk) or Extreme Greed (euphoria/correction risk).
homepage: https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/
metadata:
  {
    "openclaw": {
      "emoji": "😨",
      "requires": {},
    },
  }
---

# Crypto Fear & Greed Index API

Access the global crypto market sentiment baseline using the free Alternative.me API.

## API Endpoint

Base URL: `https://api.alternative.me/fng/`

The API requires no authentication or API keys. 

### Get Current Sentiment

Fetch the latest daily Fear & Greed metric (0-100 score + classification label):

```bash
curl -s "https://api.alternative.me/fng/?limit=1"
```

Returns a JSON structure containing:
- `value`: The 0-100 numerical score.
- `value_classification`: The textual label (e.g. "Extreme Fear", "Fear", "Greed", "Extreme Greed").
- `timestamp`: Unix epoch of the data point.

## Common Use Cases

### Sentiment Baseline Anchoring
When conducting qualitative sentiment analysis on news headlines or on-chain flows, first fetch the Fear & Greed index to anchor your assumptions about retail psychology.

1. If `value` < 25 (Extreme Fear): The market is highly sensitive to bearish catalysts. Price may be artificially depressed.
2. If `value` > 75 (Extreme Greed): The market is euphoric and ignoring risk. High danger of sudden liquidations or corrections.

Overview

This skill provides programmatic access to the Alternative.me Crypto Fear & Greed Index as a baseline market-sentiment signal. It fetches the latest daily index value and classification so you can quickly gauge whether retail sentiment is in Extreme Fear, Fear, Greed, or Extreme Greed. Use it to anchor risk assumptions and adjust strategy timing or messaging.

How this skill works

The skill calls the public Alternative.me FNG API endpoint to retrieve the most recent sentiment datapoint (score 0–100, textual label, and timestamp). No authentication or API keys are required; a simple GET request to the API returns JSON containing the numeric value and value_classification. Consume that output in trading signals, reports, or upstream analytics to incorporate retail sentiment into decision-making.

When to use it

  • Before qualitative sentiment analysis to set a baseline for retail psychology.
  • When backtesting strategies that incorporate market sentiment filters.
  • As an input to risk-management rules that widen or tighten exposure based on crowd mood.
  • When preparing market updates, newsletters, or alerts that reference prevailing retail sentiment.
  • During portfolio rebalancing to avoid buying into euphoric tops or selling into capitulation.

Best practices

  • Always fetch the latest datapoint and log the timestamp — use historical series for trends rather than single snapshots.
  • Treat the index as a complementary signal, not a standalone trade trigger.
  • Combine with volume, volatility, and on-chain metrics to reduce false positives.
  • Apply simple thresholds (e.g., <25 Extreme Fear, >75 Extreme Greed) and validate them against your asset/timeframe.
  • Cache responses briefly to avoid redundant requests, but refresh daily for current decisions.

Example use cases

  • Add a sentiment filter to a momentum strategy: avoid entering long positions when index >75.
  • Annotate market commentary with the current Fear & Greed label to provide readers context.
  • Trigger defensive hedges or reduce position sizes during Extreme Greed readings.
  • Delay large buy orders during Extreme Fear unless supported by additional on-chain buying signals.
  • Feed the index into a dashboard that visualizes sentiment alongside price and volatility.

FAQ

Do I need an API key to use this skill?

No. The Alternative.me FNG endpoint is public and requires no authentication.

What numeric thresholds indicate extreme conditions?

Common thresholds are <25 for Extreme Fear and >75 for Extreme Greed, used as heuristic signals for elevated risk or capitulation.