Bitcoin remained steady above critical support levels during Asian trading Tuesday, even as bearish sentiment dominates the market. The Fear and Greed Index has plunged to extreme fear territory, reflecting widespread pessimism among traders.

Despite the selloff pressure, DeFi's total value locked has only slipped modestly, demonstrating what analysts call "quiet strength" in the decentralized finance sector. This resilience comes even as forced liquidations ripple across centralized exchanges.

Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan offered a contrarian view, suggesting that what he called a "full-blown crypto winter" has been masked by institutional ETF flows and corporate treasury investments. He believes the worst may be behind the market: "We're now nearer the end than the beginning."

Meanwhile, Moscow Exchange announced plans to expand its crypto derivatives lineup, adding futures contracts for Solana, XRP, and Tron—a sign that institutional infrastructure continues building even during market stress.