Ethereum ETFs enter first 7-day outflow streak of the year

U.S. spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds recorded seven straight days of outflows with over $390 million leaving the funds. 

According to data from SoSoValue, the 10 spot ETH ETFs saw $92.54 million in net outflows on Thursday, March 26, primarily led by BlackRock’s ETHA with $140.24 million in outflows. The investment manager’s staked Ethereum ETF (ETHB) managed to offset a large portion of the outflows as it drew in $96.81 million on the day.

Following the outflows yesterday, these investment products have now seen redemptions for the seventh consecutive day, with a combined $391.65 million flowing out.

Before this streak, the ETFs recorded a six-day inflow run in which they drew in over $386 million. This suggests that institutional traders could be withdrawing from the market amid expectations of a prolonged conflict between the U.S. and Iran, destabilizing risk assets.

A part of this activity may also come from capital rotation into BlackRock’s ETHB, which offers investors native staking yields unlike the standard spot ETFs that simply track the price of the underlying asset. The firm previously noted that it would waive a portion of sponsor fees to remain competitive for the initial $2.5 billion in assets. 

Besides this, investors have also been rotating capital from these ETFs towards traditional safe-haven assets such as gold and other precious metals as oil prices continue to retain upward pressure, sparking fears of global inflation and a hawkish Federal Reserve.

On the monthly scale, the ETH ETFs are close to completing their 5th straight month of net outflows that began in November last year, with nearly $2.85 billion in total exits.

Ethereum price has fallen over 45% from its year-to-date high to $1,815 in late February amidst the persistent ETF outflows and broader market downturn triggered by the U.S.-Iran war, rising energy costs, and diminished expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. At press time, Ethereum price was trading at $2,065, down 2.7% over the past 24 hours.

Market analysts, such as Tom Lee, Head of Research at Fundstrat and Chairman of Ethereum treasury company Bitmine, have called a market bottom for Ethereum, aligning with the firm’s aggressive accumulation of Ether as it advances towards its 5% target of the total circulating supply. 

This comes as Ethereum balances on exchanges have fallen to an all-time low, a sign of accumulation, whether by retail investors or institutional giants such as Bitmine, likely positioning for much higher prices.