Last week, short Bitcoin products attracted $10 million in new money, signaling that some traders were actively betting against the world’s largest cryptocurrency as a broader sell-off hit global crypto funds.
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Selling Spreads Across Borders
The United States led the retreat, with $1.43 billion pulled from crypto exchange-traded products, including $1.26 billion from US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs. Switzerland and Canada followed with outflows of $16 million and $12.5 million, while Hong Kong and Germany saw $12 million and $4.4 million leave, respectively. The Netherlands stood out as the only market to post notable gains, attracting $6.6 million in fresh capital, with Australia adding a modest $700,000. Total withdrawals for the week reached $1.47 billion, according to CoinShares, extending the previous week’s $1.07 billion in outflows. Assets under management across all crypto ETPs closed the week at roughly $148 billion, with Bitcoin funds accounting for 80% of that figure at $120 billion.
Bitcoin Takes the Brunt
Bitcoin products bore the heaviest losses, recording about $1.3 billion in outflows—their worst weekly showing of 2026. Ether funds lost $223 million over the same period. CoinShares head of research James Butterfill pointed to Iran-related tensions as the main driver of risk-averse behavior among investors, even as US crypto legislation continued to advance on Capitol Hill.
Not every asset lost ground. Nine cryptocurrencies posted inflows above $1 million. XRP led the pack with $31.8 million in fresh investment, while Solana pulled in $7.7 million. Smaller but still positive flows were recorded for Sui and Chainlink, at $600,000 and $400,000.
Hyperliquid Bucks the Trend
Data from SoSoValue showed Hyperliquid ETFs drew a little over $72 million in inflows—one of the more striking figures from a week otherwise defined by exits. The numbers suggest that while institutional money was stepping back from Bitcoin and Ether, appetite for newer and smaller assets remained intact in pockets of the market.
Related Reading: When Bitcoin Gets Ignored, It Tends To Rally The Hardest, Analyst Says
The week marked a shift from the previous period, when European markets had shown relative steadiness against outflows concentrated elsewhere. This time, the selling was more broadly distributed, touching most major markets simultaneously. Reports from CoinShares indicate the pattern reflected a wider mood shift among investors rather than pressure specific to any single region or product.
Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the 146 billion outflow from crypto investment funds written in a natural tone with clear simple answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What does it mean when 146 billion left crypto investment funds
It means that investors sold more shares of crypto funds than they bought during that week The total value of money pulled out was 146 billion
2 Is this a sign that crypto is crashing
Not necessarily a crash but it is a strong sign that investors are feeling cautious or worried They are moving their money to safer assets because they expect prices might drop
3 What kind of funds are we talking about
These are usually exchangetraded funds and other investment products that track the price of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum They let people invest in crypto without buying the coins themselves
4 Who is pulling their money out
Mostly big institutional investors and some active retail traders They tend to move money quickly when they sense risk
IntermediateLevel Questions
5 Why are traders becoming more cautious right now
Several reasons uncertainty about interest rates new regulations being discussed fear of a sell the news event after a recent rally or worries about a specific exchange or project having problems
6 Does this outflow mean that people are selling their actual Bitcoin and Ethereum
Not directly It means they are selling shares of funds that hold BitcoinEthereum However the fund managers often have to sell the actual crypto to give investors their cash back which can push prices down
7 How does this compare to previous big outflows
This is a very large singleweek outflow Its comparable to the biggest outflows seen during the 2022 bear market or after major crashes It signals a sudden shift in sentiment
8 Is this outflow bad for the longterm price of crypto
It creates shortterm selling pressure which can lower prices But the market can recover quickly if sentiment changes Longterm its just one data point among many
AdvancedLevel Questions
9 Which specific crypto assets saw the biggest outflows
Bitcoin funds usually see the largest outflows because they are the most popular