Bitcoin funds experienced one of their biggest single-day drops in 2026, suggesting that large investors are becoming increasingly negative about the cryptocurrency. Ether ETFs continued to see losses for the sixth day in a row, and while XRP and Solana products did receive some investment, it wasn’t enough to offset the overall trend of selling.
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Key Takeaways:
- Bitcoin ETFs lost $648.64M, with Blackrock IBIT posting a $448.36M outflow.
- Ether ETFs saw a $86.31M exit, extending a 6-day losing streak led by Blackrock ETHA.
- Solana and XRP ETFs stayed positive, signaling selective buying amid crypto weakness.
Solana ETFs Stay Positive as Bitcoin and Ether Funds Face Heavy Selling
A wave of risk reduction swept through crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Monday, May 18, with institutional investors pulling heavily from bitcoin and ethereum-linked products as volatility and caution returned to the market.
Spot bitcoin ETFs recorded net outflows of $648.64 million, one of the steepest single-day declines of the year. The selling was broad and relentless, with no fund reporting inflows during the session.
Blackrock’s IBIT absorbed the largest hit, shedding a massive $448.36 million in capital. Ark & 21Shares’ ARKB followed with $109.64 million in outflows, while Fidelity’s FBTC lost another $63.42 million.
Investors also sold shares of several other crypto-related ETFs, including Bitwise’s BITB ($9.16 million), Vaneck’s HODL ($7.59 million), Franklin’s EZBC ($6.65 million), and Invesco’s BTCO ($3.82 million).
Despite the sharp withdrawals, trading activity surged. Total value traded across bitcoin ETFs climbed to $3.14 billion, highlighting elevated investor positioning and aggressive portfolio rebalancing. Total net assets across the category fell to $100.49 billion, bringing the market close to a psychologically important territory.
Ether ETFs also experienced selling pressure, marking their sixth day in a row with net outflows. Investors pulled out a total of $86.31 million, as interest from institutions continued to decline.
Ethereum-based investment products experienced outflows this week. BlackRock’s ETHA saw the largest decrease, with $55.40 million withdrawn. Fidelity’s FETH lost $14.70 million, while Grayscale’s Ether Mini Trust and ETHE saw outflows of $10.08 million and $3.96 million, respectively. Another BlackRock fund, ETHB, also experienced a withdrawal of $2.17 million.
Trading volume across ether ETFs reached $742.40 million, while total net assets dropped to $12.20 billion.
Away from the two dominant crypto assets, the tone was more stable, though still cautious.
Solana ETFs managed a modest net inflow of $2.06 million. Fidelity’s FSOL led the gains with $2.98 million, while smaller inflows were recorded in Bitwise’s BSOL and 21Shares’ TSOL. Those additions were partially offset by a $1.12 million outflow from Vaneck’s VSOL, but the category still closed the day in positive territory.
Trading activity in Solana ETFs totaled $63.45 million, with net assets ending at $957.12 million.
XRP ETFs also remained in positive territory, though only marginally. The category recorded a net inflow of $750,440, entirely driven by Franklin’s XRPZ product. Total trading volume reached $21.22 million, with net assets holding at $1.14 billion.
The contrast across the market is becoming increasingly clear. Bitcoin and ether continue to bear the weight of institutional de-risking, while smaller digital asset products are attracting selective, though cautious, allocations.
Currently, investors are favoring safer investments like defense stocks. It’s unclear if the significant selling on Monday was due to widespread panic or just a short-term correction, and that will likely depend on how soon large institutional investors start buying again.
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2026-05-19 18:28