Exchange-traded funds linked to the leading cryptocurrency experienced intense selling pressure this Thursday, recording outflows of 410.4 million dollars. According to SoSoValue data reported this February 13, Bitcoin ETF flows are heading for their fourth consecutive week of losses, coinciding with a pessimistic adjustment in institutional banking projections recently.
The massive sell-off intensified after Standard Chartered reduced its price target for 2026, moving from 150,000 to 100,000 dollars per unit. The financial entity warned of a potential further capitulation that could lead the asset’s value toward 50,000 dollars, negatively affecting the confidence of investors who previously projected a much faster recovery for this fiscal period.
As a result of this bearish sentiment, BlackRock’s IBIT fund led the divestments with 157.6 million dollars in net outflows. This behavior suggests that even the most robust investment vehicles are suffering in the face of uncertainty generated by institutional analysts, who foresee that Bitcoin ETF flows will remain erratic while the market seeks to establish a definitive floor.
Ether and XRP join the institutional divestment trend
Negative pressure was not limited solely to the main asset, as Ether-based products faced daily outflows of 113.1 million dollars. This capital drain has brought the sector’s assets under management (AUM) to levels significantly lower than their 2025 highs, evidencing a strategic withdrawal of institutional capital seeking refuge in lower-risk assets amid the volatility of the cryptocurrency sector.
On the other hand, XRP funds recorded their first outflows since early February, losing 6.4 million dollars in a single day. However, Solana-linked instruments managed to swim against the current by capturing 2.7 million dollars, standing out as the only asset with positive flows amidst a widespread liquidation landscape that has tested the operational resilience of major managers.
Analyzing the context, platforms like CryptoQuant suggest that the market has not yet entered an “extreme fear” phase, despite the current corrections. It is estimated that the realized price support is near 55,000 dollars, marking a necessary capitulation level to reset the cycle and allow Bitcoin ETF flows to return to positive territory after the cleaning of leveraged positions.
Is a drop toward 50,000 dollars imminent for Bitcoin?
Although Standard Chartered projects a deep fall, the entity also maintains an optimistic outlook for the end of 2026. By forecasting a recovery toward 100,000 dollars for BTC and 4,000 for ETH after reaching local lows, the bank proposes a “reset” scenario, where the purge of short-term investors would strengthen the technical structure necessary for a sustainable and much more organic bullish momentum.
It is fundamental to observe that long-term holders (LTH) still show no clear signs of massive capitulation, currently selling near their breakeven points. For a definitive market bottom to form, technical analysts consider that these participants should endure losses of up to forty percent, which would validate the start of an institutional accumulation process at significantly more attractive prices.
Looking ahead, the industry’s evolution will depend on the ability of the funds to attract liquidity again following the release of key macroeconomic data. Therefore, investors should monitor whether the 55,000 dollar support remains firm, as the consolidation of this level will be decisive in reversing the negative trend currently defining Bitcoin ETF flows in the global market.
