Bitcoin, Ether ETFs See January Outflows After Early-Year Rebound

United States spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have shed over $1 billion in mixed outflows since Tuesday, marking an early-year pullback after a short rebound to start out 2026. 

SoSoValue knowledge shows spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs recorded $1.13 billion in outflows between Tuesday and Thursday, offsetting $1.17 billion in inflows on Jan. 2 and Monday. Spot Ether (ETH) ETFs had an analogous sample, with about $258 million exiting since Wednesday, after posting modest inflows earlier in January.  

The reversal erases positive factors gathered within the opening days of the 12 months and alerts renewed warning amongst traders. It additionally means that early inflows had been fragile, with traders trimming publicity as sentiment softened. 

The renewed outflows additionally prolonged a cautious tone that carried over from the top of the 12 months. CoinShares reported on Dec. 29 that crypto exchange-traded merchandise (ETPs) shed $446 million over the Christmas period, reflecting a fragile year-end sentiment and lingering warning following earlier market volatility. 

ETF momentum cooled after mid-2025 surge

SoSoValue’s month-to-month circulate knowledge exhibits that each spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs noticed their strongest accumulation part in July 2025. Bitcoin funds peaked at over $6 billion in month-to-month inflows, whereas Ether merchandise noticed over $5 billion. 

Since then, flows have trended downward. Spot Bitcoin ETFs noticed $750 million in outflows in August, then recovered in September and October. This was adopted by their second-strongest outflow month of 2025 in November, as $3.48 billion exited.

Ether ETFs adopted an analogous, although smaller-scale, trajectory. Inflows accelerated via July and August earlier than turning unfavourable in November and December. 

The shift adopted October’s sharp market correction, when a $20 billion liquidation occasion triggered widespread deleveraging throughout crypto markets. Analysts described the event as controlled deleveraging somewhat than a systemic cascade. 

Whereas the occasion was not deemed a structural failure, ETF circulate knowledge means that traders reassessed publicity within the weeks that adopted, contributing to heavier redemptions in November and December. 

Associated: Crypto market crash last October marked end of ’easy yield’ era: BitMEX

Altcoin ETFs present smaller however steadier inflows

Spot ETFs monitoring altcoins like XRP (XRP) and Solana (SOL) posted smaller month-to-month inflows however averted outflow months. Whereas influx figures had been considerably smaller, they persistently posted inflows amid broader volatility from the key funds. 

XRP and Solana ETFs attracted regular inflows since their launch in late 2025 and into January, at the same time as BTC and ETH ETFs confronted heavy redemptions. This implies that some traders are rotating into extra focused publicity somewhat than totally exiting the asset class.