Blackrock and Ark Drive $1B Bitcoin ETF Selloff as XRP Demand Accelerates

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Blackrock and Ark Drive $1B <a href="https://jpygbp.com/btc-usd/">Bitcoin</a> ETF Selloff as <a href="https://minority-mindset.com/xrp-usd/">XRP</a> Demand Accelerates

Bitcoin funds experienced a sudden shift, with $1 billion flowing out after six weeks of consistent gains. Ether funds also continued to face selling pressure, but XRP and Solana ETFs showed positive signs, continuing to draw investment from institutions.

  • Key Takeaways:

  • Bitcoin ETFs lost $1B, ending a 6-week inflow streak led by ARKB and IBIT exits.
  • Ether ETFs shed $255M, while XRP and solana gained $60.5M and $58.12M, respectively.
  • XRP and solana demand rose as investors favored crypto assets tied to regulation and utility.

Franklin and Bitwise Drive XRP ETF Gains as Bitcoin Sentiment Weakens

The mood in digital asset markets shifted decisively between May 11 and May 15. What began as a cautious pullback quickly evolved into one of the weakest weeks for bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in recent months, driven by heavy institutional selling across several of the market’s largest funds.

Spot bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $1 billion for the week, ending six consecutive weeks of positive flows. The pressure was widespread, but a handful of products accounted for the bulk of the decline.

ARK 21Shares’ ARKB saw the biggest drop in investment with $324.2 million leaving the fund. BlackRock’s IBIT wasn’t far behind, losing $317.1 million – a significant change for a fund that usually attracts a lot of investment. Fidelity’s FBTC lost another $259 million, and Grayscale’s GBTC experienced $92.8 million in outflows.

Bitwise’s BITB and Franklin’s EZBC both experienced declines, losing $46.8 million and $21 million respectively, contributing to overall weakness.

There were only a few pockets of resilience. Morgan Stanley’s MSBT stood out with $39.1 million in inflows, while Vaneck’s HODL and Grayscale’s BTC product added $12.1 million and $12.6 million. Invesco’s BTCO managed a marginal positive flow of $1.6 million.

$1 billion outflow hits bitcoin ETFs after six weeks of inflows.

Even with significant money leaving the market, trading volume stayed high all week, suggesting that large institutions are still actively involved, despite a more cautious outlook.

Ether ETFs also struggled recently. Funds holding actual ether saw a net outflow of $255.11 million last week, continuing a trend of investor caution regarding ether and similar assets.

Both Blackrock’s ETHA and Fidelity’s FETH experienced significant selling pressure throughout the week, with large institutions being major contributors to the declines. While Blackrock’s ETHB saw some investment at times, offering limited support, it wasn’t enough to counter the overall downward trend.

The divergence became more apparent outside the two largest crypto assets.

Spot XRP ETFs recorded a net inflow of $60.50 million for the week, making them one of the strongest-performing categories in the broader crypto ETF market. Investor appetite remained steady across products from Franklin, Bitwise, Canary, and Grayscale, reflecting growing interest in XRP-related infrastructure and regulatory narratives.

XRP ETFs have seen steady inflows week after week.

Momentum around the proposed CLARITY Act also appeared to support sentiment. Market participants increasingly view XRP as a potential beneficiary of clearer digital asset regulation and institutional settlement adoption.

Solana ETFs also attracted consistent demand, posting net inflows of $58.12 million over the week. Bitwise’s BSOL and Fidelity’s FSOL led most of the gains, with investors continuing to position around Solana’s growing ecosystem and institutional relevance.

The week ultimately highlighted a changing dynamic within crypto ETF markets. Capital is no longer flowing uniformly into bitcoin and ether. Instead, investors are becoming more selective, rotating toward assets tied to emerging utility, scalability, and regulatory clarity.

For now, the broad institutional appetite for crypto remains intact.

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2026-05-18 18:57