U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds witnessed net outflows exceeding $1.6 billion during the initial two weeks of March, attributed to rising trade tensions in the U.S. and increased uncertainty in the broader market.
Data from SoSoValue reveals that the 12 spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs experienced weekly outflows of $799.39 million and $870.39 million, leading to a cumulative outflow of $1.67 billion in this timeframe.
This trend of outflows marks the fifth consecutive week of net withdrawals, resulting in a total loss of more than $5.4 billion from these ETFs. Prior to this decline, these Bitcoin ETFs had attracted over $5 billion in investments following a strong start to 2025.
According to data from Farside, the majority of the Bitcoin ETF withdrawals in the last two weeks were associated with Fidelity’s FBTC, which saw net outflows of $508.4 million. Close behind was BlackRock’s IBIT, with a withdrawal amounting to $467.7 million.
Notable outflows also came from Grayscale’s GBTC and ARK 21Shares’ ARKB, which recorded losses of approximately $289 million and $231.8 million, respectively.
Several other Bitcoin ETFs, such as Invesco Galaxy’s BTCO, Franklin Templeton’s EZBC, Bitwise’s BITB, and WisdomTree’s BTCW, experienced moderate outflows ranging from $51 million to $108 million.
Meanwhile, Valkyrie’s BRRR, Grayscale’s mini Bitcoin Trust, and VanEck’s HODL encountered only minor withdrawals, each staying below $15 million.
The continuous outflows from Bitcoin ETFs appear to coincide with Bitcoin’s recent price decline. Over the past month, BTC has dropped 14%, briefly reaching lows around $77,000. Institutional investors have shown increased caution during this period, resulting in a 21.7% decrease in total net assets for Bitcoin spot ETFs, which currently sit at $93.25 billion, according to SoSoValue.
Experts suggest that Bitcoin’s recent price drop is linked to wider economic concerns, particularly relating to trade tariffs and general market uncertainty.
As investors adopt a more conservative stance, traditional assets like gold are attracting greater interest. Gold ETFs, in particular, are witnessing a surge in attention and have now surpassed Bitcoin ETFs in terms of total assets under management.
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Miah also highlighted that trade tensions across North America, paired with general economic uncertainty, are undermining investor confidence, making additional sell-offs more probable.
Verbitskii added that the market is currently in a “fragile equilibrium.” If the Nasdaq stabilizes and the VIX (volatility index) begins to cool, ETF inflows could revert to positive by week’s end.
He emphasized that the diminishing negative momentum suggests a potential reversal may be on the horizon, “as long as broader market conditions stay favorable.”
In addition, Jess Houlgrave, CEO of Reown, opined that a catalyst for market reversal could be Lumis’ Bitcoin Act, which is gaining significant attention. However, she noted that broader market sentiment might hinge on the resolution of trade disputes.