Why did Bitcoin ETFs record $635 million in outflows?

US spot Bitcoin ETFs saw heavy withdrawals as investor sentiment weakened amid rising US inflation concerns and slowing Bitcoin momentum. The $635 million outflow was the largest single-day withdrawal since January 29.

How are Bitcoin ETF outflows affecting Bitcoin’s price?

Bitcoin recently slipped below $80,000 after failing to break resistance near its 200-day moving average around $82,000. Large ETF outflows can reduce buying pressure and signal weakening institutional demand, which may weigh on short-term prices.

What are spot Bitcoin ETFs?

Spot Bitcoin ETFs are investment funds that directly hold Bitcoin and allow investors to gain exposure through traditional stock exchanges. They became one of the biggest institutional entry points into crypto after launching in the United States in January 2024.

How much money has left Bitcoin ETFs recently?

The 11 US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $1.26 billion in cumulative net outflows over the past five trading sessions. Total lifetime inflows have now declined to about $58.5 billion.

Why are inflation fears hurting Bitcoin?

Higher inflation can reduce expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, which often pressures risk assets including cryptocurrencies. Investors worry tighter monetary policy could reduce liquidity flowing into speculative markets.

What is the significance of Bitcoin’s 200-day moving average?

The 200-day moving average is a key technical indicator used to track long-term market trends. Traders often view it as a major resistance or support level that can influence broader market sentiment.

Does ETF money still strongly influence Bitcoin prices?

The relationship appears weaker than earlier this year. The report said the correlation between Bitcoin prices and ETF inflows fell to 0.16 from a peak of 0.68 in February, suggesting ETF flows now have less direct short-term influence.

Why were ETF inflows previously seen as bullish for Bitcoin?

Strong inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs during March and April were viewed as a major institutional demand catalyst. Many traders linked those inflows to Bitcoin’s rally from around $65,000 to above $80,000.

Bitcoin ETF outflows hit $635M as rally stalls

Written by Liezl GambePublished May. 14 2026Last Updated May. 14 2026

Investors withdrew approximately $635 million from US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds on Wednesday, marking the largest single-day net outflow since January 29 and signalling weakening momentum in one of the market’s most closely watched institutional demand indicators.

The 11 US spot Bitcoin ETFs have now recorded cumulative net outflows of roughly $1.26 billion over the past five trading sessions, reducing total net inflows since launch in January 2024 to about $58.5 billion from nearly $59.8 billion a week earlier.

Bitcoin recently fell more than 2% to around $79,400 after failing to sustain a rally above its 200-day simple moving average near $82,000, which many traders view as a major technical resistance level.

The ETF outflows arrived as rising US inflation concerns complicated expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, with analysts warning that tighter monetary conditions could pressure crypto markets even if institutional inflows remain positive over the longer term.

“A persistently hot CPI, an incoming Fed under Warsh that markets read as more hawkish, or another oil shock can compress bitcoin even with positive net flows,”

Said Adam Haeems, head of asset management at Tesseract Group.

The latest ETF withdrawals also contrasted with strong inflows recorded through March and April, when many traders viewed institutional demand as one of the key catalysts behind Bitcoin’s rally from approximately $65,000 to above $80,000.

Despite the recent selling pressure, data cited in the report showed the correlation between Bitcoin price movements and cumulative ETF inflows has weakened significantly, with the 90-day rolling Pearson correlation coefficient falling to 0.16 from a peak of 0.68 in February, suggesting ETF flows may now provide less direct influence over short-term price action.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $79,704.27.