Crypto Markets Catch A Breather As Outflows Begin To Slow: Analysts

bitcoinistPublished on 2026-02-10Last updated on 2026-02-10

Abstract

Crypto investment products experienced another week of net outflows, though the pace of withdrawals slowed significantly as prices stabilized. Trading activity reached a record high, with volumes exceeding $63 billion. Bitcoin-focused funds bore the brunt of the outflows, with approximately $264 million withdrawn. Meanwhile, some altcoins like XRP attracted fresh capital, suggesting a partial rotation by investors. Global crypto ETP assets declined to around $130 billion, the lowest since March 2025. Despite the downturn, new product filings, such as 21Shares' ETF application for Ondo, indicate continued industry development amid ongoing political and regulatory influences.

Crypto investment products saw another week of net withdrawals, but the rush out the door slowed sharply as prices found firmer footing. Trading activity stayed heavy, and a handful of altcoins drew fresh interest even while Bitcoin-focused funds lost ground.

Record Trading Activity

According to CoinShares, exchange-traded products logged a record week of trading, with volumes topping $63 billion. That was higher than the prior high set last October.

High turnover was mixed with net selling. James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares, said a change in the speed of withdrawals can be more revealing than the raw outflows themselves.

Market watchers took that as a hint that investor mood might be shifting after several rough weeks.


Source: CoinShares

Bitcoin Takes The Brunt

Bitcoin-linked ETPs were the main source of outflows. Reports say Bitcoin funds saw withdrawals around $264 million while spot Bitcoin ETFs accounted for about $318 million of that move, based on SoSoValue data.

The token’s price briefly touched $60,000 last Thursday on Coinbase, marking its lowest point since November 2024. That drop clearly weighed on funds tied directly to Bitcoin exposure.

Source: CoinShares

Altcoins Attract Some Fresh Capital

XRP led the inflows, drawing $63 million. Ether and Solana-linked products picked up smaller amounts, attracting $5.3 million and $8.2 million, respectively.

The flow mix suggests some investors are trimming big Bitcoin positions and shifting small slices into other tokens. That behavior was visible even as overall assets under management slid.

BTCUSD trading at $69,061 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView

Crypto AUM And Year-To-Date Flows

Global crypto ETP assets fell to close to $130 billion by week’s end, the lowest since March 2025. Bitcoin ETP AUM stood at about $102.7 billion, while ETF totals fell below $90 billion.

After three consecutive weeks of withdrawals, crypto ETPs have shed roughly $1.2 billion year-to-date, compared with almost $2 billion pulled from Bitcoin ETFs over the same span.

Industry Moves Continue

Beyond flows and prices, the market kept adding new product filings. Reports note that 21Shares filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for an ETF tied to Ondo. That kind of filing shows issuers still see demand for more varied crypto tools even in a cooling period.

Political signals have also been part of the backdrop. Markets remain sensitive to comments from US political figures, including US President Donald Trump, and to US regulatory talk that can shape investor appetite.

Featured image from TalkShop, chart from TradingView

The Top Bitcoin Predictions From Industry Experts Go As High As $500,000

A compilation of Bitcoin price predictions from industry experts, including banks, hedge fund managers, and venture capitalists, shows a wide range of bullish forecasts, with estimates going as high as $500,000. Bitcoin is currently trading around $78,000, showing signs of recovery. On the lower end, Citigroup projects a base target of $126,000 by end-2026, while other predictions include $148,000 from Pantera Capital, $150,000 from JPMorgan, $180,000 from VanEck, and up to $200,000 from Standard Chartered. More optimistic forecasts see Bitcoin reaching near or above $200,000, with Tom Lee targeting $189,000, Tim Draper at $250,000, Cathie Wood at $275,000, Robert Kiyosaki at $350,000, Anthony Scaramucci at $400,000, and Chamath Palihapitiya and Mike Novogratz projecting $500,000. The broad range of predictions highlights significant market division regarding Bitcoin’s upside this year, though overall sentiment remains bullish. Some major forecasts have already been revised downward, such as Citigroup cutting its 12-month target to $112,000 and Standard Chartered reducing its 2026 year-end target to $150,000, while maintaining a long-term $500,000 view for 2030.

bitcoinist12m ago

The Top Bitcoin Predictions From Industry Experts Go As High As $500,000

bitcoinist12m ago

North Korean Hackers Loot $500 Million in a Single Month, Becoming the Top Threat to Crypto Security

North Korean hackers, particularly the notorious Lazarus Group and its subgroup TraderTraitor, have stolen over $500 million from cryptocurrency DeFi platforms in less than three weeks, bringing their total theft for the year to over $700 million. Recent major attacks on Drift Protocol and KelpDAO, resulting in losses of approximately $286 million and $290 million respectively, highlight a strategic shift: instead of targeting core smart contracts, attackers are now exploiting vulnerabilities in peripheral infrastructure. For instance, the KelpDAO attack involved compromising downstream RPC infrastructure used by LayerZero's decentralized validation network (DVN), allowing manipulation without breaching core cryptography. This sophisticated approach mirrors advanced corporate cyber-espionage. Additionally, North Korea has systematically infiltrated the global crypto workforce, with an estimated 100 operatives using fake identities to gain employment at blockchain companies, enabling long-term access to sensitive systems and facilitating large-scale thefts. According to Chainalysis, North Korean-linked hackers stole a record $2 billion in 2025, accounting for 60% of all global crypto theft that year. Their total historical crypto theft has reached $6.75 billion. Post-theft, they employ specialized money laundering methods, heavily relying on Chinese OTC brokers and cross-chain mixing services rather than standard decentralized exchanges. Security experts, while acknowledging the increased sophistication, emphasize that many attacks still exploit fundamental weaknesses like poor access controls and centralized operational risks. Strengthening private key management, limiting privileged access, and enhancing coordination among exchanges, analysts, and law enforcement immediately after an attack are critical to improving defense and fund recovery chances. The industry's challenge now extends beyond secure smart contracts to safeguarding operational security at the infrastructure level.

marsbit55m ago

North Korean Hackers Loot $500 Million in a Single Month, Becoming the Top Threat to Crypto Security

marsbit55m ago

Circle CEO's Seoul Visit: No Korean Won Stablecoin Issuance, But Met All Major Korean Banks

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire's recent activities in Seoul indicate a strategic shift for the company, moving away from issuing a Korean won-backed stablecoin and instead focusing on embedding itself as a key infrastructure provider within Korea’s financial and crypto ecosystem. Despite Korea accounting for nearly 30% of global crypto trading volume—with a market characterized by high retail participation and altcoin dominance—Circle has chosen not to compete for the role of stablecoin issuer. Instead, Allaire met with major Korean banks (including Shinhan, KB, and Woori), financial groups, leading exchanges (Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone), and tech firms like Kakao. This approach reflects a broader industry transition: the core of stablecoin competition is shifting from issuance rights to systemic positioning. With Korean regulators still debating whether banks or tech companies should issue stablecoins, Circle is avoiding regulatory uncertainty by strengthening its role as a service and technology partner. The company is deepening integration with trading platforms, building connections, and promoting stablecoin infrastructure. This positions Circle to benefit regardless of which entity eventually issues a won stablecoin. Allaire also noted the potential for a Chinese yuan stablecoin in the next 3–5 years, underscoring a regional trend of stablecoins becoming more regulated and integrated with traditional finance. Ultimately, Circle’s strategy highlights that future influence in the stablecoin market will belong not necessarily to the issuers, but to the foundational infrastructure layers that enable cross-system transactions.

marsbit1h ago

Circle CEO's Seoul Visit: No Korean Won Stablecoin Issuance, But Met All Major Korean Banks

marsbit1h ago

SpaceX Ties Up with Cursor: A High-Stakes AI Gambit of 'Lock First, Acquire Later'

SpaceX has secured an option to acquire AI programming company Cursor for $60 billion, with an alternative clause requiring a $10 billion collaboration fee if the acquisition does not proceed. This structure is not merely a potential acquisition but a strategic move to control core access points in the AI era. The deal is designed as a flexible, dual-path arrangement, allowing SpaceX to either fully acquire Cursor or maintain a binding partnership through high-cost collaboration. This "option-style" approach minimizes immediate regulatory and integration risks while ensuring long-term alignment between the two companies. At its core, the transaction exchanges critical AI-era resources: SpaceX provides its Colossus supercomputing cluster—one of the world’s most powerful AI training infrastructures—while Cursor contributes its AI-native developer environment and strong product adoption. This synergy connects compute power, models, and application layers, forming a closed-loop AI capability stack. Cursor, founded in 2022, has achieved rapid growth with over $1 billion in annual revenue and widespread enterprise adoption. Its value lies in transforming software development through AI agents capable of coding, debugging, and system design—positioning it as a gateway to future software production. For SpaceX, this move is part of a broader strategy to evolve from a aerospace company into an AI infrastructure empire, integrating xAI, supercomputing, and chip manufacturing. Controlling Cursor fills a gap in its developer tooling layer, strengthening its AI narrative ahead of a potential IPO. The deal reflects a shift in AI competition from model superiority to ecosystem and entry-point control. With programming tools as a key battleground, securing developer loyalty becomes crucial for dominating the software production landscape. Risks include questions around Cursor’s valuation, technical integration challenges, and potential regulatory scrutiny. Nevertheless, the deal underscores a strategic bet: controlling both compute and software development access may redefine power dynamics in the AI-driven future.

marsbit2h ago

SpaceX Ties Up with Cursor: A High-Stakes AI Gambit of 'Lock First, Acquire Later'

marsbit2h ago

Ripple’s Tokenization Bet: Will XRP Price Explode As It Enters This Trillion-Dollar Industry?

Institutional capital is quietly moving onto the XRP Ledger (XRPL), with over $333 million in tokenized US Treasury products now live from firms like BlackRock-backed Ondo Finance, OpenEden, Guggenheim, and abrdn. This marks a significant shift for XRPL, traditionally known for payments, into the tokenized real-world asset sector. While still a tiny fraction of the $30+ trillion Treasury market, XRPL's tokenized assets grew 2,200% in 2025. Experts project the global tokenization market could reach $200 trillion. If XRPL captures a notable share as this market scales, it could have significant implications for the price of XRP.

bitcoinist3h ago

Ripple’s Tokenization Bet: Will XRP Price Explode As It Enters This Trillion-Dollar Industry?

bitcoinist3h ago

Trading

Spot

Futures