Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs See Heavy Outflows as Crypto Fund Demand Cools

Highlights:

• Spot Bitcoin ETFs lost nearly $1 billion last week, ending six weeks of strong inflows.
• Major funds, including IBIT, FBTC, ARKB, and GBTC, faced heavy investor withdrawals.
• Spot Ether ETFs also saw $255.2 million in outflows across all five trading days.

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw a sharp change in investor demand last week, with nearly $1 billion leaving the products over five trading days. The outflows ended a strong six-week run of inflows and showed that some investors are becoming more careful as Bitcoin struggles to hold momentum near the $80,000 level.

According to Farside Investors data, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded about $995.5 million in net outflows during the week ending May 15. The funds started the week with a small $27.2 million inflow on May 11. However, selling pressure increased in the following sessions.

The biggest outflow came on May 13, when investors withdrew $630.4 million from the products. The funds briefly recovered with $131.3 million in inflows on May 14, but another $290.4 million left the market on May 15.

📉BITCOIN ETFS JUST SAW THEIR FIRST WEEKLY OUTFLOW IN 6 WEEKS

Spot bitcoin:native ETFs recorded -$290.42M in net outflows, the 2nd-largest daily outflow this month.

That brings weekly flows to -$1 BILLION, marking the first net outflow week in 6 weeks, and the largest since… pic.twitter.com/GFdAdPUjDN

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) May 16, 2026

Major Bitcoin ETFs See Withdrawals

The selling pressure affected several major funds. BlackRock’s IBIT recorded $284.7 million in outflows on May 13, while Fidelity’s FBTC lost $133.2 million. Ark Invest’s ARKB also saw $177.1 million leave the fund on the same day, according to Farside Investors.

Friday’s data showed more weakness. IBIT posted $136.2 million in outflows, FBTC lost $39.6 million, ARKB saw $52.5 million leave, and Grayscale’s GBTC recorded $43.6 million in withdrawals. Spot Bitcoin ETFs are closely watched because they give traditional investors an easy way to gain exposure to Bitcoin through regular brokerage accounts. Strong inflows often show rising confidence, while outflows suggest caution, profit-taking, or lower risk appetite.

Tech Stocks Attract Fresh Investor Demand

The latest Bitcoin ETF outflows also came during a strong week for traditional markets. Reuters reported on May 15 that global equity funds attracted inflows for an eighth straight week, helped by renewed interest in technology and artificial intelligence stocks. Global equity funds took in $39.15 billion in the week through May 13, while the technology sector alone drew a record $10.65 billion.

That wider market trend may help explain part of the move away from Bitcoin ETFs. When technology stocks are performing strongly, some investors may choose to shift capital toward equities instead of riskier digital assets. Bitcoin often reacts to changes in investor appetite, especially when large funds and professional traders adjust their exposure.

Still, the weekly outflow does not mean demand for Bitcoin ETFs has disappeared. Farside’s data shows that total net inflows across U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have remained strongly positive at $58.38 billion since launch. BlackRock’s IBIT alone still held $65.78 billion in cumulative net inflows, while Fidelity’s FBTC stood at $10.88 billion.

Spot Ether ETFs also faced clear pressure during the same week. According to the data, the funds recorded $255.2 million in total net outflows in the week. The withdrawals continued across all five trading days.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $78,356, down 2% over the past 24 hours. Ethereum was also under pressure, trading at $2,194 after a 3% decline over the same period.