Bitcoin ETFs lose record $4.57 billion in two months

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Bitcoin ETFs lose record $4.57 billion in two months Spot BTC ETFs registered their sharpest outflows on record through November and December as prices dropped 20%. By Omkar Godbole | Edited by Sam Reynolds Jan 2, 2026, 7:45 a.m. BTC ETFs bled millions in final months of 2025. (Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk) What to know : U.S.-listed spot ETFs experienced their worst two-month stretch on record through November-December, with net outflows totaling $4.57 billion. Bitcoin's price dropped 20% during this period, reflecting a decline in institutional interest. Ether ETFs lost over $2 billion. The once-super-hot U.S.-listed spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ran into their worst stretch on record in the final two months of 2025, as investors yanked billions, capping a brutal year-end for a product that has been a key driver of institutional adoption. The 11 spot ETFs cumulatively registered a net outflow of $1.09 billion in December after a much steeper $3.48 billion in November. That amounts to a combined two-month redemption worth $4.57 billion, the largest since their debut in January 2024, according to data source SoSoValue . STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . The wave of outflows indicates a marked decline in institutional appetite for the leading cryptocurrency and coincided with a 20% slide in bitcoin’s price over the same period. The previous worst two-month stretch came in February and March, when investors pulled a total of $4.32 billion. The U.S.-listed ether ETFs had a rough year-end, too, as investors withdrew over $2 billion from these funds over November and December. These outflows seem to paint a grim picture of the market, but some experts disagree. "ETF outflows and steady liquidations are weighing on sentiment, but the structure does not resemble panic. Instead, this appears to be a market in equilibrium, as weak hands are exiting into year-end and stronger balance sheets are absorbing supply," Vikram Subburaj, CEO of India-based Giottus exchange, said in an email. "The price is compressing as both sides wait for liquidity to return in January," Subburaj added. While bitcoin and ether ETFs lost investor favor, XRP ETFs attracted over $1 billion in inflows in November and December. Meanwhile, Solana's SOL ETFs pulled in more than $500 million. Bitcoin News ETFs Markets More For You KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market By CoinDesk Research Dec 22, 2025 Commissioned by KuCoin KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market. What to know : KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025 , equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month , marking its strongest year on record. This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume , as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes , which slowed during periods of lower market volatility. Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split , each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line. Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity , reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover. Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity , indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes. View Full Report More For You Bitcoin's squeeze sets stage for major price swing By Omkar Godbole , AI Boost | Edited by Sam Reynolds 2 hours ago BTC's volatility bands have compressed to levels that have historically paved the way for a renewed price turbulence. What to know : Bitcoin's price has been stable between $85,000 and $90,000 for two weeks, leading to a Bollinger Bands squeeze. The Bollinger Bands squeeze suggests a potential for significant price movement soon. Historical patterns show that such squeezes often precede major price swings. 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