VIX Hits Two-Week High, Up 0.69 Point to 17.56

A two-week high in the VIX is a modest signal rather than a regime shift, but it matters because volatility expectations set the backdrop for risk appetite across crypto and tokenized real-world assets, which tend to trade as high-beta expressions of the same sentiment. The read-through is about positioning, not direction: a fear gauge at this level suggests hedging demand is returning without panic. Whether the index extends its climb or fades back is the open question for how much spillover crypto and RWA markets absorb.