U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs Shed About $910 Million Over Two Weeks as October Stays Red
By Satoshi’s Wire
October 18, 2026
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted another net outflow week, losing about $228.6 million after a $681.1 million drain the prior week — roughly $910 million gone across two weeks, according to Decrypt’s October 18 wrap citing SoSoValue. Outflows beat inflows on three of five sessions, with Wednesday’s $261.4 million exit the week’s worst day and Friday adding another $82.4 million in redemptions on Decrypt’s tracker. For NFT desks, that is bid-currency pressure: collectors still price most Ethereum lots in ETH, but institutional risk appetite tracked through spot BTC wrappers remains a lead indicator for how hard floors can lift.
The tape was not one-way. Tuesday printed a $175.7 million inflow that Wednesday erased, and Thursday managed a thin $5.1 million inflow before Friday resumed selling. Wednesday’s flush lined up with a hotter September CPI print — 3.7 percent year over year versus a 3.6 percent forecast — with a firm PPI follow-through Thursday that revived bets on another Federal Reserve hike. Higher real rates make a near-5 percent Treasury path compete with BTC risk, and they tighten the leverage that usually spills into NFT speculation.
Bitcoin briefly traded under $80,000 on Thursday as CoinGlass tallied nearly $950 million in leveraged liquidations over 24 hours, about 90 percent long. Nexo analyst Iliya Kalchev told Decrypt the dip pushed BTC below the average ETF holder’s estimated cost basis near $82,300. Spot wrappers still show about $57.3 billion in cumulative net inflows since the January 2024 launch on Decrypt’s series, with total net assets near $104.29 billion (SoSoValue) or $100.2 billion (Decrypt tracker). Friday’s close near $81,590 was down from about $82,337 a week earlier.
October is now deep red after opening with roughly $293 million in inflows: Decrypt’s tracker puts the month about $615 million negative. The slide accelerated on October 7 with a $484.9 million single-day exit — a session 8bitcrypto already filed separately — and Ethereum and Solana ETFs have also bled this month. That stack is distinct from today’s two-week $910 million Bitcoin-wrapper total; do not conflate the Oct. 7 day print with the newer weekly pair.
For Ape Index, the NFT angle is mechanical. When spot BTC funds redeem for two straight weeks and ETH/SOL products stay in the red, the settlement assets that clear Courtyard, Pudgy, and blue-chip PFP books get marked down first. A Flagship museum buy or a Mudwater claim window can still print headlines, but secondary ETH floors usually wait for the wrapper bid to stabilize before size returns.
Tape watch: Mark the next full SoSoValue / Decrypt weekly Bitcoin ETF net and whether October’s ~$615 million month-to-date deficit narrows before the October 20 SEC Regulation Crypto Assets comment close. Watch BTC versus the ~$82,300 ETF cost-basis level and whether ETH spot ETF flows flip before pricing any broad NFT floor rebound in ETH terms.
Bottom line: Spot Bitcoin ETFs just stacked about $910 million in two-week outflows ($228.6M + $681.1M), leaving October roughly $615 million in the hole despite $57.3 billion of lifetime nets. NFT traders should read it as sustained bid-currency stress — size ETH floors only after the wrapper tape stops bleeding for more than a single bounce day.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or trading advice. The NFT market is highly volatile, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions related to digital assets. The cover image for this article may have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).
