- U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs lost $817.9M, the largest daily outflow since November 2025.
- Ether ETFs shed $155.6M as total assets fell below $17B amid heavy selling.
- Bitcoin briefly dropped to $81,000, with ETF outflows reflecting a leverage shakeout.
U.S.-listed bitcoin and ether ETFs experienced nearly $1 billion in outflows in a single session. Falling crypto prices, rising volatility, and macroeconomic uncertainty pushed investors to reduce exposure.
Bitcoin dipped below $85,000, while ether lost more than 7% in U.S. trading hours. Heavy redemptions occurred across major ETFs managed by BlackRock, Fidelity, and Grayscale.
Institutional ETF Outflows Drive Market Movement
Spot bitcoin ETFs experienced the largest daily outflows since November, totaling $817.9 million. BlackRock’s IBIT led redemptions with $317.8 million withdrawn, while Fidelity’s FBTC lost $168 million.
Grayscale’s GBTC also saw significant exits of $119.4 million, highlighting broad-based selling. Smaller products, including Bitwise, Ark 21Shares, and VanEck, recorded meaningful outflows as well.
Ether ETFs followed a similar trend, with BlackRock’s ETHA shedding $54.9 million. Fidelity’s FETH experienced $59.2 million in redemptions, and Grayscale’s ether products continued to see declines.
Total ether ETF assets fell to $16.75 billion, down from over $18 billion earlier this month. Investors increasingly shifted away from ether amid rising market volatility.
ETF flows appeared to mirror price movements rather than drive them. Selling across Bitcoin and Ether funds suggests institutions reduced overall crypto exposure.
This pattern differs from earlier January trends, when inflows into ether often balanced bitcoin weakness. Analysts noted the synchronized redemptions reflect broader market caution rather than asset rotation.
Price Volatility and Macro Factors Influence Selling
Bitcoin fell through $85,000 and briefly touched $81,000. Ether declined more than 7% during the same session, intensifying market pressure.
Market participants observed leveraged positions unwinding aggressively, adding downward pressure on spot prices. Andri Fauzan Adziima noted on Telegram that breaking key support at $85,000 triggered liquidations.
This activity reinforced short-term selling as liquidity thinned across exchanges. Investors reacted cautiously, awaiting stabilization before re-entering positions.
The ETF outflows coincided with increasing volatility rather than preempting price declines. The session’s selling reflected a broader risk-off environment across digital assets.
Analysts described this as a leverage shakeout instead of a long-term market reversal. The trend indicates that ETF demand remains sensitive to price movements.
Major ETFs Experience Targeted Redemptions
BlackRock’s bitcoin and ether ETFs accounted for the largest outflows, indicating concentrated institutional adjustments. Fidelity and Grayscale products also lost substantial assets, reflecting coordinated withdrawals across providers.
Smaller ETFs followed the broader market pattern, signaling uniform risk management strategies. Investors appear to be managing exposure rather than reallocating between crypto assets.
Redemptions in ether ETFs have reduced total fund assets below $17 billion for the first time in weeks.
