U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have recorded their longest withdrawal streak since their inception, with approximately $3.45 billion withdrawn over 11 consecutive sessions. This trend, which began on May 15, 2026, reflects a significant shift in investor sentiment as funds are redirected toward equities, particularly those associated with artificial intelligence.
The current withdrawal streak surpasses the previous record of eight days set in February 2025. The latest session alone saw an additional $484 million withdrawn, contributing to a 4% decline in bitcoin’s price during the Asian trading session.
Despite the downturn in bitcoin investments, Wall Street continues to show a strong appetite for riskier assets. Notably, shares of Nvidia rose by 6%, alongside other semiconductor and AI-related stocks that have attracted investor interest.
In a related development, Strategy (MSTR), the largest corporate holder of bitcoin, announced on Monday that it sold 32 BTC, valued at approximately $2.5 million. This sale was intended to fund distributions related to one of its preferred stock offerings. While this transaction represents a small fraction of Strategy’s overall holdings, it marks the company’s first bitcoin sale since December 2022, following months of advocacy from Executive Chairman Michael Saylor for a buy-and-hold strategy.
Concerns regarding institutional demand for bitcoin are also emerging. A recent report from CryptoQuant indicated a notable decline in both ETF and corporate treasury accumulation, suggesting that the current withdrawal streak may signal a weakening of one of the key drivers behind bitcoin’s previous price increases.
In the broader cryptocurrency market, XRP has experienced a decline, hitting fresh 15-week lows after breaking below the critical support level of $1.30. Despite over 25 million XRP being moved off exchanges, indicating some level of accumulation, the asset has struggled to maintain upward momentum, with recent rallies being met with selling pressure.
U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs have faced an unprecedented withdrawal streak, totaling $3.45 billion over 11 sessions. This trend coincides with a shift in investor focus towards AI-related equities, raising concerns about the sustainability of bitcoin's demand.