The Fear and Greed Index read 72 on August 28 against a 30-day average of 42, having bottomed at 24 when Bitcoin traded near $64,664 earlier in the month. Bitcoin touched an intraday high of $81,142 on the 28th before reversing hard, and crowded sentiment is exactly the condition under which a modest catalyst turns into broad profit-taking. Worth noting the index rose to greed while its seven-day change was a single point, meaning sentiment was elevated without accelerating alongside price.