U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced a significant $817 million in net outflows on Thursday, led by BlackRock’s IBIT with $317.8 million redeemed. Analysts linked the sell-off to a potential hawkish Federal Reserve Chair nomination and a return of Bitcoin’s correlation with declining tech stocks, pushing the cryptocurrency’s price to a nine-month low near $81,315.
U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded $817 million in net outflows, with major redemptions from BlackRock’s IBIT, Fidelity’s FBTC, and Grayscale’s GBTC according to SoSoValue data. The exodus contributed to Bitcoin’s price plunging to its lowest level since April 2025.
Analysts pointed to the rising probability of Kevin Warsh becoming the next Federal Reserve Chair as a key catalyst. “This segment of capital is exceptionally sensitive to shifts in liquidity,” HashKey Group researcher Tim Sun stated, explaining that leveraged arbitrage capital is deleveraging.
Bitcoin’s positive correlation with U.S. equities also returned amid a risk-off mood in traditional markets. “Bitcoin sold off with equities following the market’s disappointment in Microsoft’s Q4 2025 financial results and its cautious guidance for 2026,” noted Aurelie Barthere, Principal Research Analyst at Nansen.
The market repricing is reflected on prediction market Myriad, where Bitcoin’s chance of hitting $100,000 has dropped sharply. Other macro pressures include geopolitical tensions and recent U.S. policy developments.
Bitcoin is currently trading near $82,687, down nearly 6% over the past 24 hours. The market awaits the official White House announcement of the Fed Chair nominee later today.
