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<h2 id="a-sharp-reversal-after-six-weeks-of-inflows">A Sharp Reversal After Six Weeks of Inflows</h2>
The thirteen spot <a href="https://x.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=cashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">$BTC</a> ETFs trading in the United States have collectively recorded net outflows of $1 billion for the week ending May 15, 2026, according to data from SoSoValue. <cite>The reversal ended a six-week run of steady inflows that had signaled renewed institutional appetite for the cryptocurrency.</cite>
<cite>Outflows built sharply mid-week, with $635 million leaving the funds on May 13 and another $233 million exiting on May 12.</cite><cite>The May 13 figure marked the largest single-day outflow since January 29, with BlackRock's IBIT leading at $284.69 million.</cite>
<cite>On Friday, BlackRock's IBIT shed over $136 million in assets, while Fidelity's FBTC and Grayscale's GBTC lost over $39 million and $43 million, respectively.</cite>
<h2 id="macro-pressure-drives-the-exit">Macro Pressure Drives the Exit</h2>
The outflows did not occur in a vacuum. <cite>Markets came into the week expecting rate cuts, but by Wednesday morning they were pricing rate hikes, after April CPI came in at 3.8% year-over-year and April PPI hit 6%, the biggest wholesale-price increase since December 2022.</cite><cite>After the PPI report, markets stopped pricing rate cuts entirely, and CME hike odds on forward 2026 meetings climbed to roughly 39%.</cite>
<cite>The $1 billion weekly exit is the largest since late January and comes after a period of relative calm.</cite><cite>Some market participants point to profit-taking after the strong April run, while others cite macro headwinds including upcoming inflation data and Federal Reserve commentary.</cite>
Despite the turbulence, the products retain considerable scale. <cite>Cumulative net inflows since the products launched in January 2024 still stand at roughly $58.34 billion, with total assets under management reaching $104.29 billion.</cite> The spot ETFs also continue to hold 6.58% of <a href="https://x.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=cashtag_click" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">$BTC</a>'s total circulating supply, underscoring the depth of institutional positioning even amid short-term redemptions.
<cite>Ethereum ETFs also saw outflows of $255.11 million this week, extending a five-day negative streak and adding to the sense of sector-wide caution.</cite>
Sources: <a href="https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/05/16/bitcoin-etfs-post-1b-weekly-outflow-halting-six-week-inflow-streak/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Crypto Times: Bitcoin ETFs Post $1B Weekly Outflow, Halting Six-Week Inflow Streak</a> <a href="https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/05/14/bitcoin-etf-outflows-just-hit-a-3-month-high-of-635-million-whats-driving-the-exit/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">247 Wall St: Bitcoin ETF Outflows Hit a 3-Month High of $635 Million</a> <a href="https://www.banklesstimes.com/articles/2026/05/16/bitcoin-price-prediction-as-btc-etfs-suffer-a-1-billion-meltdown/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">BanklessTimes: Bitcoin Price Prediction as BTC ETFs Suffer a $1 Billion Meltdown</a>

Bitcoin Horror Story as Spot ETFs Bleed $1 Billion.

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