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US spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs see $1.82B outflow amid metals rally
Coin market flows show investors withdrew roughly $1.82 billion from US-listed spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds over the last five trading days as sentiment cooled following a rally in precious metals. Between Monday and Friday, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded about $1.49 billion in net outflows, while spot Ether ETFs saw roughly $327.10 million pulled, according to Farside analytics.
Short-term price pressure and weekly declines
The outflows came as both cryptocurrencies slipped over the week despite intermittent recovery attempts. Over the past seven days Bitcoin and Ether fell roughly 6.55% and 8.99%, trading near $83,400 and $2,685 respectively, per CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin is also down about 5.13% over the past 30 days.
Context: Jan. 14 spike and the CLARITY Act speculation
Earlier in the month, Bitcoin climbed 7% across two days ahead of Jan. 15 amid renewed discussion over US regulatory clarity related to crypto (often referenced as the CLARITY Act). That move produced the largest single-day inflow for Bitcoin ETFs so far in 2026: $840.6 million on Jan. 14. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index also jumped, reaching a "Greed" reading of 61 at that time.
Bitcoin is down 5.13% over the past 30 days.
Analysts weigh in: outflows reflect short-term positioning
Market participants commonly use spot ETF flows to read retail and institutional appetite and to anticipate near-term price direction. ETF analyst Eric Balchunas criticized the recent negative narrative around Bitcoin as overly short-sighted, reminding investors that Bitcoin posted dominant returns in 2023 and 2024 while many other asset classes have lagged in catching up.
Balchunas argued the institutional adoption story for Bitcoin was likely priced in ahead of concrete developments, and that the market needed a pause for fundamentals and narrative to align with price action.
Precious metals rally and volatile reversals
Gold and silver surged into record territory earlier this week — with highs reported at $5,608 and $121 respectively — but both experienced sharp pullbacks on Friday. Gold dipped about 8% to $4,887 and silver fell roughly 27% to $84 on the same day, intensifying cross-asset volatility and prompting some funds to rotate capital.
Longer-term view: ETF demand and institutional flows
Industry voices remain bullish on the long-term impact of ETFs. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan suggested that if sustained ETF demand continues, Bitcoin’s price could move into a parabolic phase. For now, the market is watching ETF inflows and outflows closely as a barometer of adoption, retail sentiment, and institutional demand.
What traders should watch next
Key indicators to monitor include net ETF flows, macro headlines on regulation, spot price momentum for BTC and ETH, and cross-asset moves in gold and silver. These factors will influence short-term sentiment and help signal whether recent outflows are temporary positioning or the start of a broader shift.
Source: cointelegraph
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