BTC Under $88K While ETFs See Outflows — Holiday Noise or Something Else?

This is a macro-level observation and discussion, not investment advice. Bitcoin is currently trading under $88K, and recent ETF flows may be contributing to the sentiment. Over the past five trading days, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen significant outflows, totaling over $825M. Notably, BlackRock’s IBIT experienced the largest outflow, followed by GBTC and FBTC.

Some analysts suggest this could simply be holiday-season positioning, with activity expected to pick up after the holidays. Additionally, a large Deribit options expiry (~$23.6B) is approaching on Dec 26, which might be affecting trader behavior.

BTC’s price action reflects this cautious sentiment, moving sideways between approximately $86K and $88K. Key levels that traders are monitoring include $85,200 and $80,757.

The purpose of this post is not to speculate on price movements but to discuss market patterns and ETF flow behavior.

How do you interpret these ETF outflows? Could this be typical year-end activity, or do you see broader implications for Bitcoin’s market behavior?