Investors stepped back this week as a mix of shifting bets and quick profit-taking pushed money out of spot crypto ETFs. Markets moved fast, and some of the biggest swings were driven by short-term reactions rather than a change in long-term views. Related Reading: Ethereum Boost: Vitalik Buterin Sets Aside $45M In ETH For Privacy And Open Tech Spot Crypto ETF Flows Based on reports from Farside, US-based spot Bitcoin ETFs saw about $1.50 billion leave over five trading days, while spot Ether ETFs had roughly $327 million in outflows. That adds up to about $1.80 billion pulled from these funds in just a few days. On Jan. 14, reports note a very large inflow for Bitcoin ETFs — $840 million — which shows how quickly money can go in and out. Some traders treated that day as a buying moment. Others used it to take profit. That push-and-pull shows up in the numbers. A Rally In Metals, Then A Sudden Drop Gold and silver grabbed attention when they climbed to fresh highs. Prices surged, and many investors moved money into precious metals. But the rally was short-lived. On a single trading day, gold fell sharply from its peak and silver tumbled even more. Reports say those sudden reversals left some investors rethinking their moves and helped create a wave of selling across other risk assets, including crypto. Bitcoin Price Action Bitcoin has been swinging. Over the past week, BTC fell about 6.50% while Ether dropped around 8.90%, and they were trading around $82,500 and $2,685, respectively, according to CoinMarketCap. The market had a short spike after talk of the US CLARITY Act, but prices then cooled. Moves like this are often tied to positioning, margin calls, and traders reacting to headlines. At times, large flows into ETFs have pushed prices up. Other times, outflows coincide with volatile days when traders close positions quickly. Related Reading: Bitcoin’s Slide To $82K Sets Off A $1.7 Billion Chain Reaction What Analysts Are Saying Reports note that some market watchers view the pullback as temporary. ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said the current negativity about Bitcoin’s price is short-sighted and pointed to strong performance in prior years as context. Another voice, Bitwise’s Matt Hougan, suggested that continued ETF demand could send Bitcoin into a much higher trajectory over time. These views reflect different timeframes — some focus on immediate flows, others on how steady demand might shape prices months from now. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
Gold and copper have moved higher even as the Federal Reserve continues to signal patience on rate cuts, a divergence that shows how markets tend to price liquidity conditions ahead of formal policy shifts rather than wait for confirmation from central banks. These metals are responding to changes in real yields, funding conditions, and forward […]
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Crypto is seeing a shuffling of cards of sorts. Long-term holders of Bitcoin have eased up on selling after months of steady reductions, while large Ethereum wallets have been piling on more tokens, according to recent reports. Related Reading: Bitcoin Rules The Decade: Outshines Gold And Silver, Analyst Says Traders remain careful as prices swing and data gives mixed signals about where money is moving next. According to on-chain figures cited in market commentary, wallets that have held Bitcoin for at least 155 days cut their total from nearly 15 million coins in mid-July to a little over 14 million in December. Ether Whales Increase Holdings Based on reports quoting CryptoQuant and a crypto newsletter, addresses holding large amounts of ether have added around 120,000 ETH since Dec.26. Analysts at Milk Road said wallets with 1,000+ ETH now control roughly 70% of the supply, and that share has been climbing since late 2024. Heavy concentration can point to strong conviction from a few players, and it can also leave the market exposed if those same wallets move to sell. Both outcomes would shape liquidity and price swings. Long-term holders have stopped selling $BTC for the first time since July 2025. Things are looking good for a relief rally here. pic.twitter.com/t7Sl2hS9Ub — Ted (@TedPillows) December 29, 2025 Long-Term Bitcoin Holders Pause Selling Crypto investor Ted Pillows was quoted on X saying long-term holders “have stopped selling Bitcoin for the first time since July 2025,” a point that market watchers flagged as a possible turning point in holder behavior. That change in activity is often read as a sign of exhaustion after a long stretch of distribution. It can mean sellers are done for now, but it does not guarantee a fresh uptrend. Capital Moves And Market Chops Garrett Jin, formerly of exchange BitForex, suggested that some capital may be shifting from metals into crypto after a short squeeze in precious metals. Reports referenced gains in silver and platinum as part of the backdrop. At the same time, bitcoin traded in a tight range recently, bouncing between $86,740 and $90,060 over seven days, a pattern that has kept many traders on edge. Silver’s price rose by more than 1,570% this year, a figure that would represent an extreme move and which will need independent confirmation. Meanwhile, bitcoin remains well below its record highs. Some analysts argue that lukewarm ETF demand and market mechanics, including derivatives and liquidity patterns, play a larger role in price action than headline sentiment. Related Reading: Crypto Heat Fizzling Out? US Search Interest Plunges As Retail Shy Away Taken together, the data points to a market that is stabilizing more than rallying decisively. Large ether holders are buying, long-term bitcoin owners have paused selling, and US flows look soft. Featured image from GaijinPot Blog, chart from TradingView
Traders are forcing macro risk through metals rather than crypto, with silver volatility spiking on physical tightness while bitcoin stays trapped in a low-volatility holding pattern.
Gold, silver, platinum and copper all surged to new records as metals — not bitcoin — attracted capital on the debasement trade and geopolitical tension.