The crypto market is currently sending mixed signals. Things look better on the price charts. At the time of writing, the total market value had increased by 3.36% and was back to approximately $2.26 trillion. However, confidence among investors is still very low.
Despite prices rising, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index is still stuck in ‘Extreme Fear’. This shows that many people are still worried after the recent ups and downs. Instead of feeling excited, they worry that the recovery won’t last.
And yet, according to LunarCrush, financial companies have dominated social media conversations over the past 24 hours.
This increase in attention around major financial companies may be closely linked to the growing influence of ETFs in both traditional markets and crypto.
Source: LunarCrush
Vanguard and BlackRock steal the spotlight
At the top of the list was Vanguard with 11,73,000 mentions. Social media chatter around Vanguard increased 146%, pushing the number of daily mentions to a record high of 13.4k.
The message noted:
“Engages are up 481% over the daily average.”
This was mainly due to the huge inflows into the S&P 500 ETF, VOO. With more than $30 billion raised this year alone, Vanguard has become a major entry point for investors looking for stability.
Close behind was BlackRock with 9,27,000 mentions, of which Bitcoin [BTC] ETF has become the main gateway for institutional money into crypto.
Moreover, other feelings surrounding BlackRock also contribute to the hype.
“BLK is the go-to company that people rely on for their retirement or refer to when explaining why companies are behaving badly. Both crowds were loud today.”
JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs follow behind
JPMorgan Chase has also turned heads with 8.2k mentions as investors look for stability beyond crypto ETFs. More than 282 spikes indicate new news, likely commentary from CEO Jamie Dimon or new macro positioning, creating renewed attention.
On the contrary, Goldman Sachs saw a noticeable drop in mentions, making it the only company from the top five to lose social traction. This usually happens when market sentiment becomes cautious.
Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) stood out as the only venture capital firm among trillion-dollar institutions. The steady discussion was likely related to the AI and crypto investments, along with the visibility of co-founder Marc Andreessen.
Other major companies such as Apollo Global Management, Fidelity Investments, Galaxy Digital, Blackstone, Temasek Holdings, KKR, Pantera Capital and Bridgewater Associates were also part of the broader conversation.
Jane Street and Third Point in particular saw unusually large spikes in attention, likely driven by specific trade or regulatory developments. Finally, Pantera’s rise reflected continued momentum in crypto-focused discussions.
Social sentiment can boost investor sentiment
However, the above data must be read in context. Recently, Google Trends revealed that global searches for “crypto” were at their lowest level in more than a year. In August 2025, interest was at its peak. However, at the time of writing, this number had dropped to just 25.
That’s not all, as the phrase “Bitcoin is going to zero” also reached an all-time high in February.
Simply put, while most people are rushing for the exits, the world’s largest money managers are quietly settling in and preparing for the next phase.
Final summary
- ‘Extreme fear’ reflects emotional exhaustion among retail investors, and not necessarily the market collapse.
- Social media data suggested that attention may be shifting from tokens to the institutions that control access.