Bitcoin ETFs Shed $515M in October as Ether Withdrawals Reach $1.61B

What happened: US spot Bitcoin ETFs ended October with $515 million in net withdrawals, their first negative month since June, following a reported single-session outflow of $643.3 million. BlackRock's IBIT and Fidelity's FBTC led that session with withdrawals of $233.7 million and $201.4 million, respectively, while Bitcoin ETF net inflows for 2026 remained positive at approximately $361 million. Ether ETFs recorded $1.61 billion in October withdrawals, exceeding the previous monthly record of $1.42 billion in November 2025 and leaving their year-to-date balance at approximately $45 million in net outflows.

Why it matters: The monthly and annual totals support a more differentiated reading than a blanket claim that institutions have abandoned crypto: Bitcoin funds retained approximately $361 million in annual net inflows, whereas Ether funds had slipped into negative territory. Reporting that Bitcoin ETF assets fell to $98.14 billion adds another sign of pressure, although assets under management and net subscriptions are distinct measures and should not be conflated. The withdrawals followed the Binance breach, but their timing alone cannot establish every investor's motive; the defensible conclusion is that the reported confidence shock coincided with a sharp reversal in fund demand.

Sources: Cointelegraph; CoinDesk.