Key takeaways

HYPE hit a new all-time high of $75 on Tuesday, driven by rising institutional demand amid broader market weakness.
Grayscale has advanced plans to launch its spot Hyperliquid ETF HYPG this week.

Hyperliquid’s native token, HYPE, surged to a new all-time high of $75.52 on Tuesday, extending its recent rally as growing institutional interest and expanding ecosystem activity continue to drive demand.

Grayscale to launch a Hyperliquid ETF

A key catalyst behind HYPE’s latest gains is increasing competition in the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market. 

Grayscale is preparing to enter the race with a spot Hyperliquid ETF after filing an amended S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart noted that the amendment suggests the fund could launch in the near future, potentially within days. 

The proposed ETF will trade under the ticker HYPG and carry a management fee of 0.29%, undercutting competing products.

Institutional appetite for HYPE has already been demonstrated by the success of Bitwise’s Hyperliquid ETF, BHYP. The fund attracted roughly $20 million in inflows on Friday, marking its largest single-day inflow since launch.

After just 11 trading days, BHYP has surpassed $100 million in assets under management (AuM), supported by cumulative inflows of $81.8 million. The ETF has also generated average daily trading volumes of $35.1 million.

Bitwise has further aligned itself with the Hyperliquid ecosystem by committing to hold 10% of its annual management fees in HYPE tokens on its balance sheet for at least 12 months.

According to onchain analytics platform Lookonchain, Bitwise purchased an additional 336,474 HYPE tokens, valued at approximately $24.4 million, over the past 24 hours.

The latest acquisition highlights continued institutional accumulation as investors seek exposure to the rapidly growing Hyperliquid ecosystem.

Hyperliquid price outlook: HYPE retraces after reaching a new all-time high

Despite reaching a record high of $75.52 earlier in the day, HYPE was trading at $72.28 at the time of writing, up by 1% over the previous 24 hours. 

However, the token remains one of the strongest-performing digital assets as institutional adoption and ETF-related demand continue to accelerate.

The RSI of 65 shows that HYPE is bullish but is yet to enter the overbought region, creating room for further growth.

If the bullish trend persists, HYPE could extend its rally and create a new all-time high around the $80 level.

However, if the pullback extends, HYPE could retest the Sunday low of $67. An extended bearish trend could see HYPE drop below $60 for the first time since May 28.

Real Finance and Anchorage Digital form RWA infrastructure pact.
Partnership combines tokenization, custody, and settlement tools.
Firms target institutional adoption of on-chain capital markets.

Real Finance and Anchorage Digital have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at supporting the full lifecycle of tokenized assets, as institutional interest in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization continues to grow.

The collaboration combines Real Finance’s blockchain-based tokenization infrastructure with Anchorage Digital’s regulated custody, treasury management, settlement, and institutional security capabilities.

The companies said the partnership is designed to address key operational challenges that have slowed broader institutional adoption of tokenized financial products.

Under the agreement, the two firms will work together across asset issuance, custody, settlement, servicing, and secondary market liquidity.

The initiative is intended to provide a more integrated framework for institutions looking to participate in on-chain capital markets.

Focus on custody and tokenization infrastructure

Real Finance operates an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible Layer 1 blockchain developed specifically for real-world asset tokenization.

Anchorage Digital, meanwhile, is the parent company of the first federally chartered crypto bank in the United States and serves as a qualified institutional custodian.

As part of the partnership, Anchorage Digital will provide regulated custody and treasury infrastructure for the Real Finance ecosystem and its native ASSET token.

The companies also said Anchorage Digital will act as a foundational custody layer for tokenized financial instruments launched on the Real Finance blockchain.

The arrangement is intended to support broader institutional participation by offering regulated custody services alongside tokenized asset issuance.

In addition, both firms will support each other’s institutional client pipelines.

Real Finance expects to generate additional demand for custody services through asset issuers and onboarding initiatives, while Anchorage Digital plans to connect institutional clients with tokenization and blockchain infrastructure solutions built on Real Finance.

Companies target institutional adoption

Executives from both companies said the partnership is focused on building the infrastructure required for institutional-scale adoption of tokenized assets.

Ivo Grigorov, CEO of Real Finance, said:

“Real Finance and Anchorage Digital are collaboratively building the institutional infrastructure for the next generation of tokenized financial markets. Tokenization alone is not enough. Institutions need trusted, regulated layers that integrate custody, servicing, settlement, and lifecycle management. Together we are moving the industry from experimentation toward functional on-chain capital markets and delivering the unified experience institutions demand.”

Nathan McCauley, Co-Founder and CEO, Anchorage Digital, added:

“RWAs are one of the clearest examples of how blockchain can modernize capital markets, but institutions need more than tokenization rails alone. They need regulated, secure infrastructure that can support custody, settlement, and lifecycle connectivity at scale. Our partnership with Real Finance brings together the core building blocks institutions need to move from isolated pilots to real onchain capital markets.”

Addressing fragmentation in tokenized markets

The companies said the tokenized asset ecosystem remains fragmented across issuance, custody, compliance, settlement, servicing, and liquidity infrastructure.

According to the firms, institutions frequently cite operational trust concerns and disconnected counterparties as obstacles to wider adoption.

The partnership is intended to create a more connected framework by combining blockchain infrastructure, regulated custody, treasury management, settlement capabilities, and tokenization tools.

Real Finance and Anchorage Digital said the framework could support a range of tokenized asset classes, including private credit, investment funds, real estate, structured products, and bank-integrated financial instruments.

The announcement comes as financial institutions continue exploring tokenized assets as a way to modernize capital markets infrastructure and expand access to blockchain-based financial services.

By integrating custody, settlement, and tokenization capabilities within a single ecosystem, the two companies aim to address some of the operational challenges that have limited the growth of institutional on-chain markets.

Key takeaways

XRP has dropped below $1.25 after three straight days of losses, its lowest level since February 6.
The bearish performance comes as the broader crypto markets remain under pressure from geopolitical tensions. 

Ripple’s XRP has dropped below the $1.25 support level on Tuesday after extending losses for a third consecutive day, marking its weakest price since February 6. 

The broader cryptocurrency market continues to face selling pressure as investors adopt a risk-off stance, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Although U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that a peace deal with Iran could be reached “over the next week,” uncertainty persists. 

A CNN report also indicated that negotiations between the two countries resumed shortly after Iran paused talks following Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, further contributing to market volatility.

Mixed capital flows show continued institutional interest in XRP

Despite the price decline, XRP continues to attract institutional inflows across digital investment products, including U.S.-listed spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

According to CoinShares, roughly $20 million flowed into XRP-related products in the week ending June 1, making it one of only a few assets to record meaningful inflows above $1 million.

At the ETF level, XRP spot products recorded $4.13 million in net inflows last week, extending a five-week streak of positive flows. 

Cumulative inflows have reached approximately $1.43 billion, with total net assets under management standing at $1.11 billion, according to SoSoValue data.

XRP technical outlook: bearish pressure builds below key moving averages

XRP is currently trading around $1.23, remaining below its key short-, medium-, and long-term moving averages, reinforcing a bearish near-term structure.

Momentum indicators also reflect continued downside pressure. The MACD histogram remains negative, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits near 37, approaching oversold territory but still indicating persistent bearish momentum.

If the bulls regain control, immediate resistance is seen at the 50-day EMA around $1.38, followed by the 100-day EMA near $1.45. 

A stronger rebound would require a break above a descending trendline near $1.52. A broader trend reversal would only be signaled if XRP can reclaim the 200-day EMA around $1.65.

While institutional inflows continue to provide underlying support, XRP remains under pressure from broader macro uncertainty and technical weakness. 

With the buyers failing to defend the $1.25 support level, XRP could likely drop below $1.20 in the near term.

Bitcoin price has dipped to under $70,000 for the first time since early April.
Negative triggers include ETF outflows, corporate sales, and large on‑chain transfers.
With macro and geopolitical volatility persisting, bulls may struggle to reclaim recent highs.

Bitcoin price dipped below the $70,000 mark early Tuesday, slumping more than 4% in the past 24 hours amid rising negative sentiment across the crypto market.

The losses intensified after Monday’s slide, which was due to fresh capital flight from exchange-traded funds and a market reaction to Strategy’s BTC sale.

Bitcoin dips under $70k amid $4 billion ETF outflows

Bitcoin’s retreat beneath $70,000 on Tuesday marks a notable deterioration in market confidence after the cryptocurrency reached intraday highs above $82,800 in April.

Since then, Bitcoin has struggled to recapture momentum amid a confluence of macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds, including volatility in risk assets tied to the US‑Iran conflict.

The bellwether token dropped to about $71,300 on Monday before extending losses to dip below $70,000.

Per CoinMarketCap, the benchmark digital asset touched lows of $69,300 across major crypto exchanges. The intraday lows mark levels not seen in nearly two months.

Market analysts have pointed to accelerated institutional outflows as a key driver.

According to SosoValue data, spot Bitcoin ETFs have recorded more than $2.43 billion in outflows over the past month, with roughly $483 million withdrawn on Monday alone.

Those flows contributed to a weekly streak that pushed total spot ETF redemptions above $1 billion, and aggregate outflows have now surpassed the $4 billion threshold since May 11, 2026.

The sustained withdrawals have heightened selling pressure and reduced the speed of any recovery.

Why else did Bitcoin price dump?

Compounding concerns, corporate and on‑chain moves are drawing attention.

Strategy, previously the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, sold 32 BTC in May, prompting market participants to reassess supply-side risk.

On Tuesday, on‑chain monitoring showed Mt. Gox transferred 10,306 BTC, worth more than $731 million, to new addresses.

BREAKING: Mt. Gox just transferred 10,306 $BTC($731M) to a new wallet!https://t.co/toejNooaei pic.twitter.com/HzWU9REWCw

— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) June 2, 2026

CryptoQuant analysts observed that similar transfers have historically accompanied creditor repayments and distribution preparation and “did not lead to immediate selling pressure,” but the timing amid heavy ETF outflows amplified unease across trading desks.

BTC price outlook – is a deeper crash next?

From a price action point of view, it’s possible that the recent weakness exposes bulls to the risk of an extended slide. Currently, the coin is testing the 200-week EMA, below which a deeper crash could follow.

Notably, Bitcoin has lost over 12% in the past month, and a breach below the $65,000 zone would reopen March 2026 lows.

BTC dropped to $64,955 in March, and fear will likely trigger further short‑term liquidation events.

Conversely, a reclaim of key intraday support around $71,500 would be required to shift momentum back to buyers and set targets near $75,000 and $77,500. The 100-week EMA currently sits around $81,830.

Hedera coin price has jumped past $0.091 on a 10.5% daily rally with rising volume.
Enterprise news and BrandBoost adoption are boosting Hedera demand.
The $0.10428 resistance is key for confirming further upside momentum.

The latest move in Hedera (HBAR) has drawn renewed attention to its short-term technical setup after the token climbed more than 10% in 24 hours, reaching an intraday high of $0.09506.

The rally was accompanied by a sharp increase in trading activity, with volume rising to more than $345 million over the same period.

The gains have pushed HBAR above recent consolidation levels, breaking out of the relatively narrow trading range that had contained price action in recent sessions and signalling a potential shift in short-term momentum.

Enterprise developments driving Hedera price momentum

One of the key catalysts behind the recent rally in Hedera (HBAR) has been reports surrounding a strategic development involving the Hedera Governing Council and the Hyperledger Fabric ecosystem.

According to industry reports, the initiative involves intellectual property associated with Hyperledger Fabric, originally backed by the Linux Foundation, with plans to make it available as open-source software for broader enterprise adoption.

Market participants have interpreted the development as a potential step toward expanding the use of Hedera Hashgraph in enterprise environments, particularly among organisations already operating permissioned blockchain systems.

The prospect of connecting established enterprise frameworks with Hedera’s distributed ledger technology has been a recurring theme in recent market sentiment.

At the same time, investor attention has been boosted by speculation around a potential ETF and ongoing enterprise relationships involving companies such as Accenture and FedEx.

Together, these developments have reinforced the narrative that Hedera is increasingly positioning itself as enterprise-focused infrastructure rather than a project driven primarily by retail cryptocurrency cycles.

BrandBoost loyalty platform launch

Another key development linked to sentiment around the HBAR price is the rollout of the BrandBoost Loyalty Platform by Hashgraph Group.

The platform is designed to support real-time customer engagement through gamified loyalty systems, token-based rewards, and AI-driven interaction layers.

BrandBoost is built to function on Hedera’s distributed ledger infrastructure, and it focuses on industries such as media, entertainment, telecom, and sports.

The system allows brands to issue digital rewards that can be earned and redeemed through user activity, which introduces a more interactive form of enterprise loyalty compared to traditional point-based systems.

The Hashgraph Group has also integrated additional technologies such as decentralised identity tools and wallet infrastructure to support these systems.

Reports linked to early deployments, including pilot testing with a Latin American satellite TV provider, suggest that enterprise experimentation is already underway rather than purely theoretical.

This expansion of real-world use cases has strengthened market interest in Hedera’s long-term ecosystem development, especially as it ties into consumer-facing applications rather than backend-only infrastructure.

Technical breakout adds fuel to Hedera coin price movement

Beyond fundamental catalysts, the recent move in the Hedera coin price also reflects a clear technical breakout from a multi-week bearish pattern.

Short-term support has formed around $0.08500, with another closely watched level at the 23.6 Fibonacci level retracement, $0.08744, after the January-February dip.

On the upside, the first major resistance sits at $0.09675, followed by a more significant level at $0.10428, which has repeatedly been identified as a breakout confirmation zone.

Notably, volume expansion during the breakout has been one of the key signals supporting the recent move, especially as the HBAR price pushed away from its recent range low.

Chainlink (LINK) trades near $8.92 with a 7-day drop of ~9.7%.
Mastercard deal boosts adoption, but the trend stays technically bearish.
The $9.02 resistance and $8.85 support define the next move.

Chainlink has remained in a persistent downtrend over recent weeks, falling roughly 9.7% over the past seven days and about 43.8% over the past year.

The token is currently trading near $8.92, holding within a tight 24-hour range between $8.81 and $9.06.

Although short-term price action shows a modest recovery of around 1% over the past 24 hours, the broader trend remains under pressure.

Against this backdrop, a new partnership with Mastercard has drawn attention from traders and institutional participants.

The partnership introduces a fiat-to-crypto gateway designed to route traditional card payments directly into on-chain protocols.

The system allows Mastercard’s global user base to purchase digital assets without relying on centralized exchanges as intermediaries.

Instead, transactions are processed through a compliance-focused routing engine that connects Mastercard’s payment rails with Chainlink’s infrastructure and a network of fintech providers.

The development has raised questions about whether it could improve long-term sentiment around LINK, particularly as technical indicators continue pointing to weakness.

Institutional integration meets early accumulation signals

Although price action has remained weak, on-chain and institutional data present a more nuanced picture.

Wallet data from Santiment shows that addresses holding at least 100,000 LINK have risen to 805, marking an 8.2% increase over seven weeks.

The steady growth suggests that larger holders have continued accumulating during the downturn rather than reducing exposure.

At the same time, ETF-related flows have added another layer of interest, with approximately $984,000 in inflows recorded on July 28.

While the figure is not large enough to materially shift price direction on its own, it suggests institutional participation has not fully disappeared during the broader decline.

Another structural factor is the Chainlink Reserve, which recently accumulated 132,002.92 LINK valued at more than $1.1 million.

That brought total reserve holdings to roughly 3.91 million LINK.

The reserve is funded through a combination of enterprise revenue and on-chain service usage, creating a recurring mechanism that gradually absorbs supply over time.

Taken together, these developments suggest that while the broader market trend remains bearish, accumulation is occurring across multiple channels.

Technical structure still controlled by sellers

Despite improving institutional and ecosystem narratives, technical indicators continue reflecting a dominant downtrend.

According to market analysis from Coinlore, Chainlink currently shows 13 sell signals, 3 buy signals, and 7 neutral readings across 23 indicators.

Moving averages also remain firmly bearish, with all major daily exponential moving averages (EMAs) — including the 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200-day EMAs — positioned above the current price.

That alignment indicates the broader trend has not yet shifted in favor of buyers.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands near 38.41, remaining in neutral territory rather than deeply oversold conditions.

This suggests selling pressure has eased somewhat, but momentum behind a sustained reversal remains limited.

Price structure also highlights several key technical levels.

Initial resistance is positioned near $9.02, followed by $9.19. A stronger resistance zone sits around $9.82, which aligns with a key Fibonacci retracement level.

On the downside, support is located near $8.85, followed by a lower structural level around $8.79. A break below that range would likely extend the current downtrend.

Can the Mastercard partnership change the trend?

The Mastercard integration represents a structural shift in how users interact with blockchain networks.

By enabling direct fiat-to-on-chain routing, the system reduces friction between traditional payment infrastructure and decentralized applications.

Mastercard’s global reach, combined with Chainlink’s interoperability layer, creates a pathway for broader onboarding without depending on centralized exchanges.

However, the market impact is unlikely to be immediate.

LINK continues trading below all major moving averages, and the broader technical structure remains bearish.

For a more meaningful reversal to develop, the token would likely need to reclaim the $9.02 level on a sustained basis before attempting a move toward $9.19 with stronger volume confirmation.

Without that technical confirmation, the partnership is more likely to function as a long-term adoption catalyst rather than an immediate trigger for trend reversal.

Bitcoin (BTC) whales holding between 1,000-10,000 BTC have increased their BTC exposure over the past five months, with the total balance reaching 3.09 million, a level last seen on November 11, 2025.

Short-term data suggest that Bitcoin traders may move toward existing liquidity at $73,700, but futures market activity and the longer-term market structure hint at higher levels above $80,000. 

Bitcoin whales and institutions rebuild BTC exposure

Bitcoin wallets holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC have been steadily accumulating since December, adding approximately 240,000 BTC to their balances.

This brings the cohort’s total holdings to around 3.09 million BTC, recovering to pre-correction levels last seen before Bitcoin’s 18% pullback in November 2025, when the price declined to $85,000 from $103,500.

Total BTC balance of large holders. Source: CryptoQuant

The long-term holders (LTHs) continue to absorb supply at a steady pace. LTHs’ balance has reached 14.57 million BTC, aligning with the prior accumulation peaks. The distribution activity was 42,100 BTC sold over the past 30 days, one of the lowest readings in 2026.

BTC long-term holder flow. Source: CryptoQuant

The Crypto Market Compass report from Bitwise highlights a similar trend across institutional flows. Over the last month, the institutional investors have added about 92,900 BTC.

The onchain realized cap flows show only 14,900 BTC in net selling during the same period. This report indicates that the demand from larger players has outpaced sell-side pressure, tightening the available BTC supply.

Rise in BTC institutional demand. Source: Bitwise

Related: First 21-week trend line reclaim since October 2025: Five things to know in Bitcoin this week

BTC double top pattern indicates a short-term liquidity sweep at $74K

The four-hour chart shows a potential double top forming near $79,400 after two quick rejections for BTC over the past week. The second pullback came late Sunday night, with weaker buy volumes, pointing to fading short-term momentum.

Currently at $77,731, the price may rotate toward liquidity pockets near $74,700 and $73,700.

BTC/USDT on the four-hour chart. Source: Coinelegraph/TradingView

The $74,700 level aligns with a prior consolidation range and sits just above the 100-period exponential moving average (EMA). A deeper move into $73,700 would test key higher-time-frame support and a prior higher-low range.

Holding above this zone keeps the broader trend intact and maintains room for a bullish continuation.

The derivatives market activity is adding short-term pressure to Bitcoin price. Crypto analyst Darkfost noted that over $1.2 billion in sell volume hit Binance within an hour, contributing to a sharp intraday decline on Sunday.

The funding rates have also stayed deeply negative, reaching -7% on a 30-day basis, one of the lowest readings ever recorded. 

Bitcoin: taker sell volume on Binance. Source: CryptoQuant

However, such positioning may create conditions for a short squeeze, in which crowded short positions unwind, driving the price higher. A move above $80,000 would invalidate the double-top signal and turn short-term momentum bullish again.

According to MN Capital founder Michaël van de Poppe, the price continues to hold key levels, with upside targets of $85,000-$88,000 still valid for May. The liquidity range between $74,700 and $73,700 now serves as a reset zone, where BTC demand could be tested ahead of another breakout attempt above $80,000. 

Related: Michael Saylor’s Strategy adds 3.2K Bitcoin at nearly $78K per BTC

Litecoin price has bounced as RSI nears oversold conditions.
Nexus Wallet added gift card payments and privacy upgrades for LTC use.
LitVM speculation and $53.30 resistance shape near-term price direction.

Litecoin (LTC) traded around $51.54 on Friday morning, posting a roughly 2% gain over 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.

The modest advance came while Bitcoin remained mostly flat, making Litecoin one of the better-performing large-cap cryptocurrencies in the short term.

However, despite the daily rebound, the broader trend remains under pressure, with LTC still down nearly 47% over the past year.

Recent Litecoin price action has been influenced by a combination of technical positioning and renewed attention around ecosystem developments, particularly the Nexus Wallet upgrade and ongoing speculation surrounding LitVM.

Nexus Wallet update strengthens payment narrative

Recent developments in the Litecoin ecosystem, particularly the Nexus Wallet update linked to the Litecoin Foundation, have drawn increased market attention.

The update introduces a more integrated spending experience for Litecoin holders, most notably through direct in-app gift card purchases using LTC.

This removes the need for external platforms or additional conversion steps, streamlining real-world crypto payments.

The wallet also builds on existing payment infrastructure, including integrations with Flexa, which enables in-store crypto payments across supported merchants.

Together, these features position Nexus Wallet as a broader spending tool rather than simply a storage solution.

The update also includes privacy enhancements. The wallet supports MWEB (MimbleWimble Extension Block) transactions for optional private transfers, alongside Tor routing for additional network-level privacy.

This setup allows users to choose between transparent and private transactions based on preference.

Market participants have largely viewed these upgrades as incremental improvements to Litecoin’s payment utility rather than immediate price catalysts.

Still, the developments reinforce the broader narrative that Litecoin continues to position itself as a transactional asset rather than purely a speculative token.

LitVM speculation adds optimism

Alongside wallet-related utility improvements, speculation surrounding the upcoming Litecoin Virtual Machine (LitVM) has also supported sentiment.

LitVM is described as an EVM-compatible zero-knowledge Layer-2 system designed to expand Litecoin’s smart contract capabilities.

Although no official mainnet launch timeline has been confirmed, ongoing community discussions have kept the narrative active.

At this stage, LitVM’s impact remains more psychological than structural. It has not yet produced measurable on-chain changes, but it has helped sustain investor attention during a period of otherwise limited fundamental catalysts.

Technical analysis

Litecoin has been trading within a relatively tight range, with intraday price action fluctuating between $50.56 and $51.99.

The recent rebound was accompanied by increased trading activity, suggesting the move was not driven solely by low-volume volatility.

On the upside, traders are monitoring the $53.30 level as the next key resistance zone, a level highlighted by market commentator cryptoWZRD_.

A decisive move above that area would likely be needed to signal a transition from range-bound trading toward a stronger recovery phase.

On the downside, a break below $51.90 could expose LTC to further weakness toward the $50.34 region, which traders view as the next key liquidity zone.

Outlook: range-bound market awaiting confirmation

Litecoin’s current setup reflects a market balancing technical structure against narrative-driven catalysts.

The $51.90 level remains an important support threshold for maintaining the recent rebound, while resistance near $53.30 continues to represent the next major test for bullish continuation.

Until either level is decisively broken, Litecoin is likely to remain in a consolidation phase driven primarily by short-term trading flows.

While wallet utility improvements and ongoing LitVM speculation continue supporting sentiment, price direction remains dependent on technical confirmation rather than a major fundamental shift.

Bitcoin held near $73,000 but risks crashing lower as risks linger.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw net outflows of $229 million for a nine-day negative streak.
On-chain metrics show whale balances flat for months, signaling reduced accumulation.

Bitcoin traded near $73,200 on Thursday after failing to sustain a rebound amid broader cryptocurrency selling.

While BTC struggled, US stock futures edged slightly higher following reports of a potential US-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, easing some geopolitical risk and supporting broader risk assets outside the crypto market.

Bitcoin’s ETF outflows extend negative streak

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds continued to see withdrawals, extending a record nine-day streak of net outflows.

US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded net redemptions of $229 million on May 28, bringing weekly net outflows to roughly $1.3 billion.

According to SoSoValue data, this would mark the third consecutive week of capital leaving BTC investment products.

Notably, the sustained outflows have coincided with price pressure on Bitcoin, undermining short-term liquidity and market sentiment.

On-chain analytics add further nuance to the picture. CryptoQuant data indicates that major Bitcoin holders have halted accumulation.

Dolphin balances, representing mid-sized holders, have printed successive lower highs since September 2025, while whale balances have remained largely flat since February 2026.

Historically, when both cohorts simultaneously pause or reduce accumulation, the market often experiences prolonged weakness as demand at higher price levels fades.

What next for Bitcoin price?

Analysts continue pointing to a mix of technical, options-market, and on-chain signals to assess Bitcoin’s near-term direction.

Glassnode observed that Bitcoin recently retested the $75,000 “strike,” a high gamma zone where options positioning can amplify price moves. This contributed to the pullback below $73,000, with BTC briefly falling near $72,500.

According to Greeks.live, the selloff occurred ahead of a major options expiry.

May 29 Options Expiration Data

84,000 BTC options expired, with a put-call ratio of 0.88, a maxpain point of $75,000, and a notional value of $6.2 billion.639,000 ETH options expired, with a put-call ratio of 0.81, a maxpain point of $2,200, and a notional value of $1.28… pic.twitter.com/NNnFMy3tgx

— Greeks.live (@GreeksLive) May 29, 2026

Analysts continue pointing to a mix of technical, options-market, and on-chain signals to assess Bitcoin’s near-term direction.

Glassnode observed that Bitcoin recently retested the $75,000 “strike,” a high gamma zone where options positioning can amplify price moves. This contributed to the pullback below $73,000, with BTC briefly falling near $72,500.

According to Greeks.live, the selloff occurred ahead of a major options expiry.

The on-chain analytics provider noted that the decline failed to fully extend after at-the-money implied volatility (ATM IV) briefly spiked during the drop, while longer-dated implied volatilities eased. This suggests many market participants still view the move as contained rather than the beginning of a broader structural trend reversal.

Despite this, risks remain asymmetric. Options markets continue implying the potential for larger moves than spot markets have so far produced, leaving room for renewed volatility around expiries and macroeconomic developments.

“The market’s next focus is on whether capital will flow back in, and whether BTC can reclaim $75,000 and ETH can retake $2,100. The settlement appears more like a “bearish unwinding”—large positions have expired—but the fact that both BTC and ETH are trading below their key resistance levels indicates that the dominant force this week has not been chasing rallies, but rather risk aversion and a retreat by longs. The market’s bullish sentiment is currently very fragile,” analysts at Greeks.live noted.

Technically, analysts have identified $70,000 as a key downside level.

A break below that zone could trigger deeper weakness and accelerate outflows. Meanwhile, a sustained recovery above $80,000 would likely signal renewed conviction and could attract fresh inflows into both spot products and derivatives markets.

Bitcoin (BTC) is down to around $73K amid ETF outflows and geopolitical tension.
Over $2B in ETF outflows and $900M liquidations added selling pressure.
The key support sits at $72,650 with RSI near oversold levels at 34.82.

Bitcoin slipped below the $73,000 level as a combination of geopolitical escalation, heavy ETF redemptions, and large institutional sell pressure weighed on the market.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading around $73,235, after briefly touching an intraday low of $72,604 from a high of $74,490.

The decline has extended a multi-week decline that has already erased more than 8% over the past 14 days and nearly 33% over the last year.

Geopolitical shock and forced liquidations accelerate the downtrend

The sharpest part of the decline came after renewed US military strikes on Iran, which triggered a broad risk-off reaction across global markets.

Crypto assets were hit particularly hard due to their higher leverage exposure.

During the selloff, more than $900 million in crypto positions were liquidated, according to market data compiled during the session.

The liquidations were concentrated in over-leveraged long positions, which forced additional selling into already weakening order books.

This cascade effect pushed Bitcoin below the $73,000 threshold and briefly accelerated downside momentum before stabilising within the day’s range.

The move also coincided with increased correlation to traditional risk assets, with Bitcoin’s correlation to the Nasdaq Composite reported at 0.96, one of the highest levels seen in recent months.

Bitcoin ETF outflows deepen institutional selling pressure

Alongside macro-driven volatility, institutional flows added sustained pressure on Bitcoin’s price.

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded eight consecutive days of net outflows, marking one of the longest negative streaks since their introduction.

On May 27 alone, ETF outflows reached approximately $733 million, contributing to a broader net withdrawal exceeding $2 billion since mid-May.

These redemptions reflect consistent selling pressure from institutional investors, reducing exposure during the recent downturn.

The largest pressure point during the session was linked to a reported $1.3 billion institutional ETF-related block trade, involving approximately 29.2 million shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), executed at an estimated price of $43.16 per share.

The trade was reportedly processed through private market channels before the impact was reflected in spot markets.

Following the execution, Bitcoin dropped roughly 1.4% to 1.5% within minutes, suggesting that liquidity conditions were thin enough for large orders to influence short-term pricing.

This added to the existing ETF-driven selling momentum already in place across the market.

Bitcoin price outlook

Over the past month, Bitcoin has declined by about 4.7%, while the 14-day drop of 8.4% points to a broader downtrend that has steadily developed in recent weeks.

The asset remains well below its highs, trading roughly 42% under the $126,080 peak recorded in October 2025.

Even with the pullback, market activity has remained elevated, with daily trading volume above $44 billion, suggesting that both institutional and retail participants are still actively positioning rather than exiting the market entirely.

This sustained activity suggests that the current move is being driven more by repositioning and flow shifts than by a drop in overall participation.

From a technical perspective, Bitcoin has broken below its 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day moving averages, reinforcing a bearish short-term structure.

The immediate focus is now on the $72,650 support level, which represents the most recent swing low and the key area separating consolidation from deeper downside pressure.

On the upside, the nearest resistance is the 50% Fibonacci retracement level at $74,332, which has now become the first meaningful barrier for any recovery attempt.

If ETF outflows continue or geopolitical tensions remain elevated, a decisive break below $72,650 could expose the market to a potential move toward the psychologically important $70,000 level, where liquidity and buyer interest may be tested more aggressively.

At the same time, momentum indicators are showing early signs of exhaustion on the downside, with the 14-day RSI at 34.82, placing Bitcoin near oversold territory and increasing the likelihood of short-term relief bounces within the broader downtrend.