Ether ETFs Have Given Back 62% of This Year’s Inflows. Is Wall Street Giving Up on Ethereum?
Three straight weeks of heavy selling have stripped away a stunning portion of Ethereum ETFs' 2026 gains, and the outflows are accelerating far faster than anything Bitcoin funds are experiencing. Whether this reflects a permanent shift in Wall Street's appetite…
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For three consecutive weeks, Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) ETFs in the U.S. have seen significant outflows, wiping out around 62% of the 2026 inflows they had collected by their September peak, according to DWF Labs, a crypto market maker. A spot ETF directly holds the underlying asset, so every outflow means the fund sells Ether.
Spot Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) ETFs are also losing money, with negative movement for two weeks in a row, according to DWF Labs. However, Ethereum is seeing sharper declines, with ETH priced at approximately $2,433 on October 19, 2026—down 18.9% for the year, compared to Bitcoin’s 6.2% drop.
While Ethereum has gained 24.8% over the last 90 days, investors are left wondering whether the recent ETF outflows indicate Wall Street’s loss of interest or simply a decision to cash in on summer profits.
Ether ETFs Lost $320 Million in a Week, More Than Bitcoin Funds
From October 12 to October 16, Ethereum ETFs recorded a net outflow of $320 million, the largest among all crypto ETFs, with only October 13 seeing an influx of new money. This unfortunate trend began in late September.
By comparison, spot Bitcoin ETFs lost $228.6 million during the same week, but their assets total far more—$104.3 billion as of October 16. In percentage terms, Ethereum ETFs saw about 2.1% of their assets leave the fund that week, which is roughly ten times higher than Bitcoin ETFs’ 0.2% loss.
Smaller crypto ETFs had minimal selling activity, with Solana ETFs losing $25.5 million and those tracking XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) (including the Bitwise XRP ETF (NYSEARCA: XRP)) only shedding $1.8 million.
BlackRock’s ETHA Dominates the Outflow
BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (NASDAQ: ETHA) drove most of the Ethereum selling, accounting for $299 million of the $320 million in outflows, or 93.4% of the total. Despite this, ETHA still holds $8.1 billion in assets.
The fund’s performance mirrors the drop in ether’s value, with ETHA declining by 18.2% this year and the Fidelity Ethereum Fund (CBOE: FETH) down 18.5%. In contrast, the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ: IBIT) has only fallen by 5.7%.
Even after the recent sell-offs, Ethereum ETFs still hold $14.95 billion in net assets as of October 16, and cumulative net inflow since launch stands at $12.94 billion. This figure reflects total money invested minus withdrawals, indicating investors remain net buyers despite the recent weakness.
Ether Struggles Against Bitcoin, Affecting ETF Demand
The recent outflows coincide with Ethereum’s decline relative to Bitcoin. Over the past month, Ether has dropped 8.5%, while Bitcoin has gained 1%. This performance provides investors with a clear reason to favor Bitcoin for crypto exposure.
Demand for Ether ETFs peaked in late September, with cumulative net inflows reaching $13.96 billion on September 28. Since then, these funds have lost nearly $1 billion. Notably, a week earlier, on September 21, they saw a single-day inflow of $270 million, with total net assets at $17.8 billion.
The decline in net assets is attributed to both falling ether prices and investors withdrawing funds. Both factors have contributed to the underwhelming numbers for Ethereum ETFs, which have seen total net assets drop by roughly $2.9 billion from their September 21 level.
Ethereum’s struggles go back further: the asset has declined 39.6% over the past year, more than Bitcoin’s 24.5% decrease. This means many ETF purchasers from a year ago are currently at a loss and might sell if the price rallies, hoping to break even.
Is Wall Street Giving Up on Ethereum ETFs?
It seems more likely that Wall Street is simply adjusting its Ethereum holdings rather than giving up entirely. The current flow data suggests a temporary pullback. Ethereum ETFs still show $12.94 billion in net inflows since launch, suggesting much of the investment remains intact. However, the concentration of outflows—93.4% from ETHA—suggests a small number of large holders are moving their money, which could either return quickly or continue withdrawing.
For long-term holders of these ETFs, the recent $320 million outflow represents only a small fraction of the funds still invested. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ETFs are losing money more slowly. If Ethereum ETFs post a fourth or fifth consecutive week of outflows while Bitcoin ETFs regain inflows and cumulative net inflows fall below $12.94 billion, it could signal a more concerning trend. Conversely, a week of consistent inflows led by ETHA might signal the start of a recovery.
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Sam Daodu is a crypto analyst who's spent nearly a decade making blockchain understandable—no easy task when most whitepapers read like fever dreams. He writes for 24/7 Wall St., covering Bitcoin, altcoins, and crypto market analysis for investors. Before crypto, he was a tech writer (back when explaining "the cloud" was peak innovation). Since 2018, he's written for CoinTelegraph, Yahoo Finance, The Block, Cryptonews, Zypto, Rain, and more—basically anywhere people want crypto news without the headache. Sam runs MacLabs Marketing, a content agency for crypto brands tired of sounding like AI wrote their website. He also publishes free crypto education on his site for Web3 enthusiasts who think "gas fees" is a typo. When he's not writing or staring at charts, Sam's either: - Watching anime (currently convinced One Piece has better tokenomics than most altcoins) - At the gym sculpting himself into a Greek god - Listening to the music your mum warned you only bad boys listen to Connect: LinkedIn | Email | MacLabs Marketing
