U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs shed roughly $1 billion in a single week, as even market leader BlackRock saw heavy investor withdrawals and all twelve funds recorded zero inflows on the final trading session. The abrupt reversal snapped a six-week inflow streak that had drawn $3.4 billion into the products, signaling a sharp deterioration in institutional demand.
According to Arkham Intelligence data, BlackRock’s IBIT ETF alone suffered nearly $317 million in redemptions during the week, contributing significantly to the broader rout. Despite the selling, BlackRock’s total Bitcoin holdings remain massive at approximately $64.34 billion, acquired at an estimated average price of $83,200—meaning the asset manager is now underwater on its position.
The weekly outflow story unfolded dramatically. Monday offered a brief respite with $27.29 million in net inflows, but sentiment soured on Tuesday when $233.25 million exited. Wednesday marked the worst single-day outflow of the period at $635.23 million. Thursday brought temporary relief with $131.31 million in new money, but Friday’s $290.42 million exodus sealed the $1 billion weekly loss and ended the six-week winning streak, per SoSoValue data. Notably, none of the 12 U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs registered positive inflows on Friday, underscoring the breadth of institutional caution.
The ETF bleed coincided with a slide in Bitcoin prices. BTC fell below $82,000 and briefly tested the $78,000 range, triggering over $500 million in liquidations across leveraged long positions. Traders scrambled to reduce exposure as volatility spiked, and market desks keyed on the $80,000 level as a must-hold support.
Ethereum ETFs also worsened the picture. U.S. spot Ether funds tallied $65.65 million in outflows on May 15, extending a five-session losing streak that brought weekly Ethereum ETF withdrawals to about $254 million. The simultaneous weakness in both major crypto ETF markets suggested a broad rotation away from digital assets.
Meanwhile, capital did not leave risk markets entirely. Large-cap tech stocks such as NVIDIA, Google, and Apple traded near record highs, and AI-focused Cerebras surged 70% on its IPO day. Analysts interpreted the divergence as a tactical shift by institutions chasing artificial intelligence plays while pausing crypto allocations. For now, Bitcoin’s ability to stabilize above the $80,000 mark remains the central question as ETF flow data continues to dominate sentiment.
