Spot Bitcoin ETFs record $1B outflow

U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded roughly $1 billion in net outflows in the week ended May 15, according to fund-flow trackers Farside Investors and SoSoValue. The withdrawals ended a six-week stretch of net inflows into the products. Bitcoin changed hands near $79,000 on Saturday after trading as low as about $78,265 over the prior 24 hours, according to CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap. Market data from CoinGlass showed leveraged long positions clustered near $78,000, a level traders were watching after this week’s selloff. ### How large were the ETF withdrawals last week? Farside Investors’ U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF table showed five straight daily net outflows in the week of May 12-15, with the largest single-day withdrawal on May 13. SoSoValue’s dashboard also showed the week ended May 15 in negative territory for the group. Several market reports that cited those trackers put the weekly total at about $995 million to $1.26 billion, depending on the cut-off and provider methodology used. (farside.co.uk) The six-week inflow run that preceded the reversal had brought in about $3.4 billion, according to market reports citing the same data sources. That streak had been the longest run of weekly net inflows since August 2025, according to a report published last week. ### Which funds were hit hardest? (farside.co.uk) BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, ticker IBIT, was cited by several market reports as a leading source of the latest outflows, including on May 15. Cointelegraph reported that $635.2 million left U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs on May 13, the largest one-day outflow since January, with IBIT leading withdrawals that day. (msn.com) Farside Investors’ flow pages break out daily moves by fund, including products from BlackRock, Fidelity, Bitwise, Ark and Grayscale. The tracker says its tables are generated automatically in real time and notes that it is not liable for errors or inaccuracies. ### Where did Bitcoin trade as the money left? Bitcoin traded between about $78,266 and $80,733 over the last 24 hours, according to CoinGecko, after slipping below $80,000 during the week. (cointelegraph.com) CoinMarketCap showed a similar intraday range, with a low near $78,635 and a high near $81,635. CoinDesk reported on May 13 that Bitcoin fell below $80,000 after U.S. producer-price data came in hotter than expected. (farside.co.uk) Other market reports tied the weaker tone to rising Treasury yields and reduced risk appetite across crypto markets. ### Why were traders focused on $78,000? (coingecko.com) CoinGlass said its liquidation maps are designed to show price areas where forced closures may accelerate. CryptoSlate, citing CoinGlass data from May 14, said about $1 billion of long positions on major exchanges could be liquidated if Bitcoin fell below $78,000, while a move back to about $80,458 would put roughly $640 million of short positions at risk. (coindesk.com) CoinGlass’ BTC liquidation page showed long liquidations dominating recent forced closures during the pullback. That positioning left traders watching whether spot prices would test the lower band again after the ETF-driven selling week. ### Did the ETF flows cause the price drop? SoSoValue and Farside Investors publish fund-flow data, but neither tracker states that daily ETF flows directly caused Bitcoin’s price swings. (coinglass.com) Market outlets including CoinDesk and MSN described the week as a mix of ETF withdrawals, macroeconomic pressure and leveraged positioning. (coinglass.com) CoinGlass and other market-data services showed that derivatives positioning remained an active part of the move. That left investors with two fresh reference points for the next U.S. trading session: whether ETF flows stabilize after May 15, and whether Bitcoin holds above the roughly $78,000 liquidation zone highlighted by CoinGlass. (coinglass.com) (sosovalue.com)