Bitcoin ETFs Snap $1.25B Outflow Streak as Institutions Buy the $60K Dip
Institutional buyers stepped in after a $1.25B exodus, with BlackRock’s IBIT leading a $331M inflow day following a historic volume flush.
Institutional capital just blinked, and bought. After hemorrhaging $1.25 billion over a brutal three-day stretch, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs reversed course on Friday, netting $331 million in inflows as Bitcoin reclaimed $69,000.
This marks the first concrete signal of dip-buying after a violent flush saw BTC briefly tag $60,000. The reversal was led almost entirely by BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which absorbed $231.6 million just 24 hours after a historic volume spike that screamed capitulation.
The Reversal: IBIT Steps Back In
Friday’s data from Farside Investors paints a picture of aggressive accumulation at the lows. IBIT’s $231.6M inflow completely offsets the panic selling seen earlier in the week, where the fund lost $548.7 million across Wednesday and Thursday.
Context is critical here. Thursday wasn’t just a red day; it was a liquidation event. IBIT smashed its daily volume record with over $10 billion traded while the price plummeted 13%. High volume on a crash typically signals a transfer from weak hands to strong hands. Friday’s immediate inflows confirm that sidelined institutional capital used the $60,000 retest as an entry point, rather than fleeing the asset class.
Fragile Sentiment Remains
Despite the bounce, the trend remains precarious. 2026 has been defined by distribution, not accumulation. IBIT has recorded only 11 net inflow days this year. Cumulative net inflows across all spot ETFs have retreated from a peak of ~$62 billion to approximately $55 billion, wiping out months of structural demand.
“The reversal came amid weakened price momentum in the crypto market… Monday’s inflows ended four consecutive days of heavy losses.”
Bitcoin currently trades near $68,000, recovering from the week’s lows but still navigating a minefield of overhead supply. The market is now hyper-sensitive to flow data: continued inflows next week would confirm a local bottom, while a return to outflows would suggest Friday was merely a dead-cat bounce in a broader deleveraging event.
