In a surprising twist for the crypto investment space, BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has finally ended its record-breaking inflow streak. After over a month of continuous investor interest, the #etf witnessed a substantial $430 million outflow in a single day—its first sign of retreat since its rapid rise in early 2024.
The development comes as Bitcoin prices slid below the $105,000 mark, triggering caution across the board. Multiple spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced pullbacks, including Fidelity’s IBIT ($13.7M out), Bitwise BITB ($35.3M out), and ARKB from Ark Invest, which shed a notable $120 million.
Historic Run, Now Paused
Despite the setback, experts remain impressed. ETF Foundation President Nate Geraci remarked on the incredible run, calling IBIT’s inflow streak “unreal.” Launched less than 18 months ago, IBIT has defied expectations by reaching over $70 billion in assets under management, making it one of the fastest-growing ETFs ever and placing it among the top 25 ETFs globally.
Bloomberg’s ETF analyst Eric Balchunas highlighted that most ETFs in that elite group have been around for over a decade—making IBIT’s rise all the more exceptional.
Bitcoin ETFs See Shift in Momentum
Collectively, Bitcoin ETFs saw more than $616 million withdrawn on May 30 alone. This follows a $347 million net outflow earlier in the week, effectively ending a two-week bullish run of consistent inflows.
Yet, Bitcoin’s performance in May wasn’t entirely bleak. Despite the current correction, BTC reached a local high of around $112,000 during the month, and IBIT still recorded $6.5 billion in net inflows for May, setting a monthly record.
BTC vs Gold: A Shift in Hedge Strategy
Interestingly, while spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted over $9 billion in the last five weeks, gold ETFs reportedly lost nearly $3 billion in the same period. This suggests a growing investor preference for Bitcoin over traditional safe-haven assets.
Since their inception, Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated approximately $45 billion in net inflows, even after accounting for Grayscale’s GBTC, which has lost $23 billion since its conversion.
Looking Ahead: Is Bitcoin Cooling Off or Reloading?
Bitcoin’s recent decline of over 4% in the last seven days has stirred debate among analysts. While short-term metrics show signs of overheating, market experts at CryptoQuant believe the overall sentiment remains bullish. Their Bull Score Index is currently at 80, indicating strong momentum until it dips below 50.
Meanwhile, whale accumulation rose by 2.8% in May—a pattern that in the past has led to slower buying behavior. Yet, analysts believe ETF demand, corporate treasury adoption, and even nation-state involvement could continue to fuel the rally.
Thomas Fahrer, founder of Apollo Sats, dismissed fears of a "double top," pointing out that Bitcoin’s fundamentals in 2025 are stronger than in 2021, thanks to institutional and sovereign interest.
Crypto analyst Crypto Dan echoed that view, citing on-chain data like the Net Realized Profit and Loss metric, which indicates that profit-taking remains limited—suggesting a price correction rather than a trend reversal.