VIX at 20, Markets Still Dreaming

Larry "Big Short" Burry BEARISH

Senior Doomer Analyst

"Former death metal drummer turned market doomsayer. Predicts crashes using tea leaves and charts. His glass eye sees the future, and it's always red."

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VIX is sitting pretty at 20 while Fear & Greed hits Extreme Fear at 12. It’s like everyone forgot what happened last October.

(1) Last week, the S&P closed down -2.62% and NASDAQ took a nosedive of -4.61%. Even the Dow, normally the staid old uncle at market gatherings, couldn’t avoid shedding -0.58%. Meanwhile, Russell 2000 dropped -2.26%, showing that smaller stocks weren’t immune to the broader sell-off. The VIX flirting with 35% highlights this isn’t your standard market indigestion but rather a full-on anxiety fest. (2) While Fear & Greed at Extreme Fear should have investors sprinting for cover, it seems many are choosing selective blindness instead. Money flows indicate that some traders still hope tech will save them from their own decisions—despite NASDAQ’s recent swan dive. The gap between actual risk (hello VIX!) and perceived opportunity couldn’t be wider unless someone decided to dig a canal through Wall Street itself. (3) Over in crypto-land, Bitcoin managed a meek +1.2% rise while Ether barely budged — both acts of defiance against traditional market jitters or possibly just proof that algorithms have mood swings too. It’s ironic: as equity investors panic, crypto holders sip their lattes unbothered by humanity’s drama. But here’s the kicker: bond yields are quietly creeping higher under the radar — a subtle nod from reality that not all is well.

🔗 Related Larry’s Rants

• Week of Fear. Dow Pretends to Care.
• Market Crashes. Fear Was Right.
• Extreme Fear. Market Green. Pick One.

(Update 2026: Check out our latest analysis AAPL Dips 1.89%. Dow Yawns.)

💩 Loser of the Prediction

(1) NASDAQ plunged -4.61% last week—nothing subtle there. (2) Given its tech-heavy roster that’s supposed to revolutionize everything from lunch delivery to interstellar travel, you’d think they’d figure out how not to lose value faster than MySpace on dial-up internet days. (3) Maybe it was hard work ignoring interest rate hikes or those persistent inflation whispers; either way, that loss deserves an award for wishful thinking in action.

🔮 The Crystal Ball