Bitcoin price holds above $81,000 as ETF outflows weigh on sentiment

• BTC-USD
• IBIT
• BLK

Investing.com — Bitcoin was trading above $81,000 on Saturday, as investors assessed mixed U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF flows and persistent concerns over institutional demand.

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The world’s largest cryptocurrency was trading down 0.73% at $81,558.1 as of 01:49 ET (05:49 GMT) after a volatile week that saw prices briefly fall below $80,000 before recovering.

Bitcoin reached a weekly high above $84,000 earlier in the week, but struggled to sustain those gains amid stronger U.S. economic data and expectations of further Federal Reserve interest rate increases.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $82.39 million in net outflows on October 16 with BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ) accounting for $71.78 million

The withdrawals reflected investor redemptions rather than a strategic decision by BlackRock to reduce its own Bitcoin exposure.

ETF activity was uneven throughout the week.

On October 12, spot Bitcoin funds recorded $65.4 million in net withdrawals, entirely attributable to IBIT.

The following day, the funds attracted $175.7 million in inflows, led by Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund, which received $103.1 million, and IBIT, which attracted $65.9 million.

Selling resumed on October 14, when funds recorded approximately $261.4 million in withdrawals, highlighting continued uncertainty over institutional appetite.

The mixed flows have accompanied sharp fluctuations in Bitcoin’s price, with investors monitoring whether the cryptocurrency can maintain support above $80,000.

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Meanwhile, Ethereum investment products also faced pressure, recording $69.68 million in outflows on October 16.

Elsewhere, stablecoin issuer Circle Internet Group (NYSE) disclosed approximately $1.4 billion in revenue during the first half of 2026.

The company paid $819 million to distribution partners and transaction costs while reinvesting approximately $473 million in infrastructure, compliance and product development.

Circle said USDC processed more than $36 trillion in onchain transactions and accounted for approximately 77% of global stablecoin transaction volume in June.

The company is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings on November 4.

Bitcoin traders are now watching whether renewed ETF demand can support a recovery towards $83,000, while further withdrawals could increase pressure on the $80,000 level.

Source: finance.yahoo.com