Hashdex’s spot Bitcoin ETF, DEFI, is holding its final trading session on NYSE Arca on August 17, 2026, ahead of the fund’s planned closure and liquidation. The sponsor authorized a wind-down plan, filed with the SEC on August 3, 2026, under Form 8-K. DEFI will stop accepting creation orders after August 17, with exchange trading suspended after the close of business that day. Liquidation proceeds are expected to be distributed to shareholders on or about August 24, 2026, though the issuer press release points to August 28, leaving a discrepancy investors should monitor.
Before the halt, the fund had already contracted sharply. Hashdex reported DEFI’s assets under management at approximately $14.7 million as of July 30, 2026. By August 14, the fund showed 100,000 common shares outstanding, $7.12 million in total net assets, and roughly 112.29 BTC in holdings. The liquidation will require selling the remaining Bitcoin and returning cash to shareholders. DEFI may be the first U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF liquidation, according to unconfirmed reports.
The closure comes during a difficult week for Bitcoin ETFs. From August 10–14, Bitcoin ETFs recorded $389.7 million in net outflows, reversing the prior inflow cycle. Fidelity’s FBTC led with $153.2 million in withdrawals, followed by Grayscale’s GBTC at $88.3 million, BlackRock’s IBIT at $78.9 million, and ARK 21Shares’ ARKB at $70.3 million. Monday was the heaviest session with $144.67 million in outflows, while Tuesday brought only a marginal $4.89 million inflow driven by $50.2 million into BlackRock’s fund.
Macroeconomic pressure weighed on institutional appetite: July CPI rose 3.4% year-over-year, PPI climbed 4.7%, and initial jobless claims came in at 209,000. Ethereum ETFs were nearly flat with $2.26 million in net outflows. By contrast, Solana funds attracted $10.26 million over the week, while XRP and HYPE products gathered between $2.25 million and $2.74 million. Bitcoin traded near $64,064, up about 1.18% over 24 hours, with the Fear & Greed Index at 31, signaling fear.
