Get the current VIX (CBOE Volatility Index) alongside the CNN Fear & Greed composite index, with historical context showing whether current fear levels are extreme (contrarian buy) or extreme greed (contrarian sell).
Use this tool when:
- A trading agent wants to assess market risk temperature before taking positions
- You need a quick single-metric read on whether the market is fearful or complacent
- A risk management agent is calibrating position sizes based on volatility regime
- An agent wants to detect contrarian opportunities (extreme fear = buy the dip opportunities)
Returns: VIX (current, 30d_avg, 52w_high), fear_greed_index (0-100), fear_greed_label (EXTREME_FEAR/FEAR/NEUTRAL/GREED/EXTREME_GREED), historical_context, signal.
Example: getFearIndex({ format: "summary" }) → VIX 28.4, Fear & Greed 18 (EXTREME FEAR) — historically bullish signal.
Cost: $0.005 USDC per call.