- U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs faced $1.2 billion in weekly outflows as Bitcoin dropped to a four-month low.
- BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale experienced significant redemptions amid a 10% weekly decline in Bitcoin.
- Charles Schwab reports growing interest in crypto, with its clients holding 20% of U.S. crypto ETPs.
U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) endured a difficult week, registering more than $1.2 billion in total outflows as Bitcoin prices slid sharply.
Even with reduced institutional inflows during the sell-off, Charles Schwab says investor engagement with crypto-related products is rising, reflecting growing interest from both retail and institutional clients in digital assets.
Heavy outflows hit Bitcoin ETFs
Data from SoSoValue show that the eleven U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs together recorded $366.6 million in outflows on Friday, capping a negative week for the products and the broader cryptocurrency market.
The largest single-day withdrawal came from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which saw $268.6 million leave in one day.
Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) also experienced significant redemptions totaling $67.2 million, while Grayscale’s GBTC recorded $25 million in outflows. A smaller redemption was reported for the Valkyrie Bitcoin ETF, and several of the other funds showed no activity on Friday.
Overall, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $1.22 billion in outflows during the past week, with only one day — Tuesday — showing modest inflows.
The drawdowns coincided with sharp declines in Bitcoin’s valuation, which fell from above $115,000 on Monday to just under $104,000 by Friday, marking a four-month low.
The steep slide underscores how sensitive institutional products remain to Bitcoin’s price swings, with ETF investors seemingly retreating amid growing market uncertainty.
Charles Schwab reports rising engagement with crypto products
While ETF redemptions point to cooling sentiment among some investors, Charles Schwab remains upbeat about the long-term potential of digital-asset investment products.
In remarks on CNBC, CEO Rick Wurster disclosed that Schwab clients now hold 20% of all crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) in the U.S.
He added that interest in crypto has increased substantially over the past year, with visits to the company’s crypto-related web pages rising by 90%.
“Crypto ETPs have been very active,” Wurster said, emphasizing that the topic continues to draw high engagement from investors.
ETF analyst Nate Geraci noted that Schwab’s large brokerage platform positions it well to capture future demand.
The firm already offers crypto ETFs and Bitcoin futures and plans to roll out spot crypto trading for customers in 2026, signaling a long-term commitment to the sector even amid short-term volatility.
Bitcoin faces a rare October slump
October, historically one of Bitcoin’s stronger months, has delivered disappointing results so far.
CoinGlass data indicate Bitcoin has risen in ten of the past twelve Octobers, yet this year the asset is down about 6% through the month to date.
Despite the pullback, some market analysts remain hopeful that the “Uptober” pattern could reassert itself in the second half of the month.
Many point to the potential for Federal Reserve rate cuts later in the year as a catalyst that could revive demand for risk assets, including Bitcoin.
For now, the mix of ETF outflows, price pressure and macroeconomic uncertainty has weighed heavily on crypto sentiment, leaving investors to watch whether the coming weeks can reverse October’s weak start.