Crypto ETFs Lose $593M in a Week as Selling Slows Down

Institutional Investors Pulled $593 Million Last Week

Institutional investors continued to pull money out of crypto funds last week. During the week ending October 16, 2026, major U.S. crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw total net outflows of about $593 million.

While that is a significant loss, it is actually a 52% drop from the $1.2 billion withdrawn the previous week. The intense selling eased, but overall market sentiment remained cautious as investors moved into defensive positions.

Bitcoin ETFs Take a $228.6 Million Hit

Bitcoin (BTCBTC+1.51%) funds faced another difficult week, losing a net $228.6 million between Monday and Friday. This follows a much larger $681 million withdrawal from the week before. Daily flows swung wildly throughout the week:

• Monday: Started with a $65.40 million exit
• Tuesday: Rebounded sharply with $175.62 million in inflows
• Wednesday: Turned negative again as $261.46 million left funds
• Thursday: Saw a small positive bump of $5.06 million
• Friday: Closed the week with an $82.39 million exit

Individual funds showed contrasting results. BlackRock's IBIT saw $165.4 million in weekly redemptions, while Fidelity's FBTC lost $60.2 million. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's MSBT brought in $6.7 million in new capital.

Total Bitcoin ETF assets stood at $104.29 billion by the end of the week. This means weekly losses accounted for just 0.22% of total assets under management (AUM). Trading volume also slowed down, dropping to $10.11 billion from $11.44 billion the week prior. Market price movements remain subject to short-term volatility. Note that past performance of digital assets is not a guarantee of future returns. Check live data at bitkub.com/th/market/BTC.

Ether Funds Face Ten Times the Relative Pressure

EthereumETH+1.78% funds carried a heavier burden relative to their size. Ether ETFs closed the week with $14.95 billion in total assets after shedding roughly $320 million.

That withdrawal represents about 2.14% of Ether's total fund base. When compared to Bitcoin, Ether experienced nearly 10 times the redemption pressure relative to its market size.

This marked Ether's third consecutive negative week, pulling out over $1 billion in total over three weeks. Here is how daily flows played out:

• Tuesday: Gained $24.84 million, ending a 10-day streak of losses
• Wednesday: Dropped $129.51 million
• Thursday: Shed $60.22 million
• Friday: Lost $69.68 million

Trading activity for Ether ETFs slowed considerably as well. Weekly volume dropped roughly 34% down to $3.44 billion. Past performance of digital assets or fund operations does not guarantee future results. You can track Ether's updates at bitkub.com/th/market/ETH.

SolanaSOL+2.73% and Other Altcoin ETFs Extend Losing Streaks

Solana (SOL) ETFs flashed strong warning signs as institutional selling deepened. Funds lost $25.52 million last week, surpassing the previous record weekly outflow of $24.81 million.

Solana products have now suffered 10 straight trading days of net outflows, bringing two-week withdrawals to $50.33 million. Total ETF assets fell to $1.62 billion, making weekly losses about 1.58% of AUM, while SOL's price dropped 4.6% across the week. This marks a sharp change from the 14 consecutive weeks of inflows seen earlier.

Other major altcoin funds also posted losses:

• XRPXRP+2.30% ETFs: Lost a modest $1.84 million
• HYPE products: Saw $17.57 million in weekly redemptions
• Zcash funds: Shed $19.15 million as initial launch excitement continued to cool down

NEAR Ecosystem Bucked the Trend

NEAR stood out as a clear exception during this broad risk reduction. Bitwise's NRR fund attracted $11.65 million in positive inflows over the week.

The fund logged positive capital on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It remains one of the few newer product categories to draw persistent investment while other funds face exits.

Macroeconomic Pressures Keep Investors Defensive

Broader economic data helps explain why institutional capital is playing defense. Recent economic reports revealed persistent inflation signals:

• September CPI: Accelerated to 3.7% annually
• Producer Price Index (PPI): Rose 6.3%

Higher energy costs are contributing to inflationary pressure. This reinforces expectations that the Federal Reserve may maintain tighter monetary policies, which can weigh on higher-risk asset markets.

Long-Term Outlook: Bitcoin and the AI Landscape

Despite current market outflows, industry leaders are weighing broader macro scenarios. Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan noted that Bitcoin could remain well-positioned across various AI-driven economic outcomes.

Hougan highlighted that whether AI triggers a productivity boom or leads to broader economic shifts, Bitcoin's core characteristics offer unique utility across different market conditions.

While the deceleration in overall ETF outflows offers a sign of stabilization, market participants continue to watch inflation data and interest rate expectations closely.