FOMO (fear of missing out)

FOMO stands for ‘fear of missing out’. With Bitcoin, it usually shows up after sharp price rises: headlines report an all-time highGlossaryAll-time high (ATH)The highest price bitcoin has ever reached. As of September 2026, it dates from 6 October 2025: $124,728 (daily close).On the learning path: Stage 3 · Step 3 – Returns & risk →In the glossary →×, people you know talk about their gains, and waiting feels like a mistake.

Why FOMO can be costly

People who buy out of FOMO buy after a sharp rise – and often sell in a panic when the price falls. The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) analysed data from major crypto trading platforms from August 2015 to December 2022: in nearly all countries, most crypto app users lost money on their bitcoin. After the collapses of Terra/Luna and FTX in 2022, large, experienced investors sold while smaller retail investors bought.^[1]

FOMO is exploited deliberately

Countdowns, ‘today only’ offers and success stories on social media target exactly this feeling. BaFin, Germany’s financial regulator, urges finfluencers not to stoke a fear of missing out among their followers.^[2] Reputable offers don’t need time pressure.

What helps

• Plan first: write down how much you’re investing and why, for example with the goal compass. A savings planGlossarySavings plan (Bitcoin savings plan)Automatically buying bitcoin at fixed intervals with a fixed amount, for example $50 a month. A savings plan takes the question of the right moment off your hands, but doesn’t promise a higher return.On the learning path: Stage 4 · Step 4 – Setting up a savings plan →In the glossary →× takes the question of timing off your hands.
• Sleep on it before any unplanned purchase.
• Cross-check: ‘Would I still buy if the price had fallen 30% over the past month?’

The counterpart is FUDGlossaryFUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt)Short for ‘fear, uncertainty and doubt’. It refers to news that stirs up sentiment against Bitcoin. Not every criticism is FUD – some warnings are justified.On the learning path: Stage 2 · Step 3 – Criticism & risks →In the glossary →× – fear and doubt that push you into rushed sales. More in Psychology & discipline.