Bitcoin ETFs See $55M Outflow: Market Correction or Sign of Trouble?

Published by

Elena R

April 19, 2024

On April 12, the cryptocurrency market witnessed Bitcoin ETFs experience massive net outflows totaling $55.1 million. It has sparked market discussions and analysis within the crypto community, making everyone question if these sudden outflows are due to the upcoming Bitcoin halving.

Eric Balchunas has provided valuable insights into these developments. Let’s understand how the ETF flows amidst market volatility.

Bitcoin ETFs Outflows is NOT Because of Halving

According to reports, Bitcoin ETFs experienced net outflows totaling $55.1 million, with BlackRock seeing $111.1 million and Grayscale facing $166.2 million outflows.

On this context, Eric Balchunas remarks, “Totally normal for ETF category to cool off after breathtaking pace like this, esp w/ price down 12% in past 5 days.” He emphasizes the relatively small scale of these outflows, representing only a fraction of total net inflows since launch.

Balchunas delves deeper into the significance of recent price fluctuations, attributing the 12% drop in the past five days to Bitcoin’s native holders. Despite this volatility, Bitcoin remains

He noted, “Some perspective on the ‘it’s so over’ ETF flows lately,” stating the normalcy of cooling off after a period of rapid growth. Despite the recent outflows, the net number is still largely driven by specific ETFs, with others seeing inflows.

Analyzing Price Movements

The 12% price drop in Bitcoin over the past five days has undoubtedly impacted investor sentiment. However, Balchunas pointed out that despite this decline, Bitcoin has shown remarkable returns since filing BlackRock’s ETF last June.

He emphasized the resilience of Bitcoin and its significant outperformance compared to traditional assets like the QQQ ETF.

Despite concerns about outflows, Balchunas argued against pessimism, stating, “No one is going to buy another bitcoin ETF and concurrently take a 30% tax hit on capital gains just to save 1% a year (in fees).”

While outflows may stabilize, investors are unlikely to switch to alternative ETFs if they incur substantial tax implications.

The recent net outflows in Bitcoin ETFs might have an adverse effect on the impending Bitcoin halving. Still, Balchunas has made it clear that it is nothing but the normalcy of market corrections and the resilience of Bitcoin as an asset class.

Elena R

Elena is an expert in technical analysis and risk management in cryptocurrency market. She has 10+year experience in writing - accordingly she is avid journalists with a passion towards researching new insights coming into crypto erena.