Bitcoin briefly fell below $77,000, influenced by higher-than-expected U.S. producer inflation and increasing speculation of an imminent rate hike. Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin depreciated by nearly 2%, as the third consecutive day of net outflows was seen in U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs.
ETF Outflows Rise: Who Leads?
Farside Investors’ data indicates that on September 10, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded withdrawals totaling approximately $282.7 million. SoSoValue reported a similar net outflow of around $283 million. This represents more than double the approximately $120 million extracted in the previous session. The Ark Invest and 21Shares’ ARKB fund saw the largest exit, amounting to $164.3 million.
Major outflows were noted from Grayscale’s GBTC fund, which saw $36.4 million withdrawn, while Fidelity’s FBTC fund registered a reduction of $33.6 million. In contrast, Morgan Stanley’s MSBT fund welcomed approximately $3.98 million in new investments.
According to SoSoValue, the aggregate net assets of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs currently stand at $97.49 billion, representing 6.28% of Bitcoin’s market capitalization. Since these funds began operations, they have accrued net inflows totaling $55.168 billion.
What Are the Market Pressures Intensifying?
The core reason for Bitcoin’s downward trend lies in rising inflation pressures. The U.S. producer inflation for August came in at 5.4%, outstripping the anticipated 5.1%. This triggered a rise in expectations for a rate hike in the Fed’s forthcoming meeting. The probability of a rate increase has surged to nearly 70% from about 50% two weeks prior.
U.S. Treasury yields reached milestones, with the 30-year note yield hitting a 19-year peak, the 10-year yield approaching 5%, and the 2-year moving past 4.5%. Brent crude oil crossed $107, rising over 6% and adding to energy-driven inflation concerns. As real yields escalate, the appeal of non-yielding assets like Bitcoin diminishes, making bonds more attractive while raising the cost of maintaining leveraged positions.
Bitcoin managed to withstand levels under $76,270, a critical technical support highlighted by Lewis Huang. Since the recent rally started in August, the price hasn’t dipped beyond this point. Investors are now anticipating the U.S. consumer inflation data for further insights, with expectations of annual headline inflation at 3.4% and core inflation at 2.4%.
Despite the immediate pressures, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong continues to be optimistic about Bitcoin’s long-term prospects. In an interview with CNBC, Armstrong emphasized that he believes Bitcoin has surpassed the current cycle’s low and anticipates a bullish trend to persist for another couple of years until the next halving event.
Armstrong remains hopeful that U.S. regulatory frameworks will become clearer even if the CLARITY Act does not pass. While the bill’s procedural vote requires 60 Senate votes, Armstrong strongly believes that support from the industry and banks will help. Current disagreements center on ethical provisions limiting crypto activities for senior officials and their families.
Currently, Bitcoin trades around 40% below its all-time high of roughly $126,000. However, Glassnode’s data indicates a recovery of approximately 23% in the three weeks following the August dip. With recent declines, future trends will likely be shaped by inflation statistics, Federal Reserve decisions, and ETF capital movements.
