$1.2B Vanishes from Bitcoin ETFs — But Schwab Sees a Bullish Signal
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States suffered one of their worst weeks in months, with more than $1.2 billion in total outflows as BTC’s price tumbled.
Yet, despite the downturn, Charles Schwab is seeing rising engagement from investors exploring crypto-linked products.
Institutional Outflows Deepen as Bitcoin Slides
According to data from Farside Investors, the eleven U.S. spot BTC ETFs saw combined outflows of $366.6 million on Friday, rounding off a sharply negative week for the sector.Â
US spot Bitcoin ETF flows (Source: Farside Investors)
The losses brought total weekly redemptions to $1.22 billion, with only a single day of minor inflows on Tuesday offering brief relief.
BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the sell-off, losing $268.6 million in assets. Fidelity’s fund shed $67.4 million, while Grayscale’s GBTC saw $25 million in redemptions. There was also a smaller outflow from Valkyrie’s ETF, while the rest recorded zero net flows on Friday.
The sell pressure came as Bitcoin’s price plunged by over $10,000, dropping from above $115,000 on Monday to below $104,000 by Friday — its lowest level in four months. The steep decline reflected fading momentum after months of institutional optimism around spot ETFs, signaling potential profit-taking and risk aversion among larger holders.
Schwab’s Clients Drive Crypto Engagement
While institutional sentiment cooled, Charles Schwab’s leadership remains confident in crypto’s long-term appeal.
CEO Rick Wurster told CNBC that Schwab’s clients now hold 20% of all crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) in the U.S., underlining the firm’s growing footprint in digital assets.
Wurster noted that visits to Schwab’s crypto website have risen 90% year-over-year, describing crypto products as “a topic that’s of high engagement.â€
ETF analyst Nate Geraci highlighted Schwab’s growing presence in the crypto investment landscape, describing the company as “one of the largest brokerages in the U.S.†and advising investors to “pay attention†to its next moves.
Schwab currently offers crypto ETFs and Bitcoin futures, with plans to introduce spot crypto trading for its clients in 2026.
October Breaks the ‘Uptober’ Trend
Historically, October has been one of Bitcoin’s strongest months, with gains in ten of the last twelve years, according to CoinGlass. However, 2025 is breaking the trend — Bitcoin is down 6% so far this month amid market-wide weakness and ETF outflows.
Bitcoin’s historical performance by month (Source: CoinGlass)
Still, some analysts remain optimistic that “Uptober†could return in the second half of the month. Historically, Bitcoin’s biggest October rallies have come late in the month, and potential Federal Reserve rate cuts could act as a catalyst for renewed momentum.
