BTC PLUMMETS STRONGLY BUT ETF FUND FLOWS CONTINUE TO POUR IN THIS WEEK
Analysis of US ETF fund flows (12/17 🇺🇸 – 12/18 🇻🇳)
🔸ETF fund flows are showing clear differentiation within the crypto asset group.
$BTC leads the pack with +457.29 million USD. This is a signal of selective “risk-on,” as institutional funds continue to prioritize Bitcoin as a core asset, which is relatively defensive while also benefiting directly from the ETF narrative and macro trends. BTC continues to act as an anchor for the entire market.
🔸ETH recorded -22.43 million USD, indicating short-term cautious sentiment. The slight outflow reflects that ETH lacks a strong enough catalyst in the short term, while also facing pressure in performance comparison with BTC. This is not a bad long-term signal, but rather a phase of capital redistribution.
🔸XRP (+18.99 million USD) and $SOL (+10.99 million USD) attracted funds back, indicating that risk appetite is expanding into altcoins with their own narratives: XRP related to legal issues & payments, SOL related to the ecosystem and on-chain performance. However, the scale of fund flows is still much smaller compared to BTC → still at an exploratory level.
🔸LINK (+217 thousand USD) is a subtle accumulation signal from institutions, reflecting long-term confidence in the oracle infrastructure sector, although it is not yet a phase of explosive growth.
🔸DOGE, LTC, HBAR have no significant fund flows → this group is currently off the ETF radar, lacking a strong enough narrative to attract institutional capital.
Current ETF fund flows confirm the “Bitcoin-led market” trend. Altcoins have fund flows but are selective, not yet an altseason. In this context, BTC remains the main axis, with altcoins fitting into rotation strategies and strict risk management.
