Bitcoin and Ethereum Lead Nearly US$2B in Outflows; Late-Week Rebound Offers Hope

Digital-asset investment products suffered another bruising week, with CoinShares’ latest “Volume 261” weekly report showing US$1.94 billion of net outflows, the fourth straight week of redemptions and the third-largest four-week run of outflows since 2018. Over the last month investors have pulled a total of US$4.92 billion, a run that CoinShares says has knocked about 36% off combined assets under management when factoring in both flows and price moves, even as year-to-date inflows remain elevated at roughly US$44.4 billion.

The pain has been broad-based but led by the two market behemoths. Bitcoin funds saw the lion’s share of the exodus with US$1.27 billion leaving last week, while Ethereum products recorded US$589 million of outflows. Both tokens did, however, stage a small rebound on Friday. CoinShares reports US$225 million of inflows into Bitcoin and US$57.5 million into Ethereum on the final trading day.

It is a sign that some investors were taking advantage of cheaper levels or stepping back into the market after a week of selling. Short-Bitcoin products continued to attract capital, a notable structural change, drawing US$19 million last week and pushing their assets under management up sharply (short-BTC AUM is reported to have risen 119%).

Signs of Relief?

The market context for those flows has been sharply negative. Bitcoin has surrendered much of its recent gains after hitting spectacular highs in October; over the past six weeks the token plunged from record levels and, as of today, is trading in the mid-to-high five-figures. Real-time market data shows Bitcoin around the mid-$80k range this morning, reflecting the rapid reversal of sentiment that has spurred liquidations and outflows across crypto funds. Analysts point to a mix of macro uncertainty, sticky interest rates and leverage-driven selling as the proximate causes of the pullback.

Ethereum has tracked Bitcoin lower but remains notable for the size of the fund outflows relative to its AuM. Ethereum changed hands around US$2,800 on the latest feeds, a level at which some traders appear to have reconsidered positions late in the week as that Friday mini-inflow suggests short-term buying interest. Still, for many institutional investors the risk-off impulse has been strong, and product redemptions continue to dominate headlines even as pockets of demand appear.

Altcoins painted a mixed picture. Solana recorded material outflows of US$156 million last week, even though its spot price recovered slightly toward the end of the week to trade around the low-to-mid US$130s. By contrast, XRP bucked the trend, attracting US$89.3 million of inflows, and traded above the US$2 mark on the latest tickers.

The divergence between outflows from high-beta names such as Solana and inflows into XRP underlines how investors remain selective: some are exiting exposure to faster-moving network tokens while rotating into assets they perceive as having clearer narratives or better liquidity.

Two themes stand out from this week’s flows. First, rotation into defensive, or inverse, products: the persistent inflows into short-Bitcoin vehicles underscore that a material share of market participants are either hedging exposure or speculating on further downside.

Second, the end-of-week mini rebound suggests the trough may not yet be fully priced in by all players. CoinShares flagged a modest US$258 million of inflows on the week’s final trading day after seven straight days of outflows, a development market participants will watch closely for signs of sustained sentiment change.

What happens next will likely hinge on macro headlines and whether the recent volatility abates. Technical watchers will be focused on near-term support levels (Bitcoin’s move around the US$80k area is important) and whether renewed inflows into funds accompany any sustained stabilization in spot prices.

For now, the flow data shows professional and retail investors alike remain cautious: sizeable four-week outflows, shrinking AuM and a growing appetite for shorts all point to a market still digesting the run-up earlier this autumn. Yet the late-week inflows offer a slender thread of optimism that buyers may reappear if prices steady.

As always with fast-moving markets, traders and fund managers will be parsing both macro signals and on-chain indicators in the coming days. CoinShares’ weekly snapshot is a reminder that fund flows, alongside price action, are a crucial gauge of the market’s depth of conviction, and this week’s data shows investors are still wrestling with whether the sell-off marks a reset or the start of something deeper.