Institutional Capital Begins to Differentiate Among Crypto Assets
Last week saw a clear divergence in the flow of funds for US crypto ETFs. Bitcoin ETFs experienced redemptions every trading day from September 8th to 11th, with a weekly net outflow reaching $462.73 million, ending the previous trend of three consecutive weeks of inflows. During the same period, the price of Bitcoin retreated to around $77,000, and the macro environment became more tense due to inflation and interest rate hike expectations.
Bitcoin ETF trading volume declined by approximately 28% sequentially to $8.76 billion, while ETH ETF trading volume conversely increased by about 54% to $5.14 billion. The combined fund flow for five major categories of crypto ETFs shifted from a net inflow of about $1.24 billion the previous week to a net outflow of approximately $263 million, indicating a clear contraction in institutional risk appetite, but not a synchronized retreat from all assets.
ETH Completed a Flow Reversal on Friday
ETH ETFs came under pressure at the beginning of the week, but saw a single-day net inflow of $216.41 million on Friday, exceeding the size of the final weekly net inflow. This capital injection reversed the prior weakness, resulting in a weekly net inflow of about $197 million for ETH ETFs and extending their streak of consecutive net inflows to four weeks.
This set of data illustrates that while Bitcoin faced sustained redemptions, some institutional capital remained willing to allocate to ETH. Whether the price can stabilize around $2,500 depends not only on spot buying interest but also on whether ETF flows maintain their relative strength.
FOMC and Regulatory Vote to Determine the Next Direction of Flows
XRP and Solana ETFs also attracted net inflows of $18.98 million and $10.30 million respectively last week, with ETH, XRP, and Solana combined attracting approximately $226 million. Capital flows are shifting from broad-based momentum chasing to more selective allocation, with ETH being the most prominent beneficiary of this shift.
The Federal Reserve will hold its meeting from September 15th to 16th, with interest rate futures suggesting a relatively high probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike; the US Senate is also scheduled to hold a procedural vote on a new version of the CLARITY Act on Tuesday. These two events may determine whether ETH fund flows can continue to lead and whether the $2,500 level can transition from resistance to effective support.
