Wed, 16 September 2026
Bitcoin16 September 2026

Bitcoin ETFs shed $450 million after Senate defeat

US spot bitcoin ETFs lost around $450 million on 15 September, their heaviest day since late June. Including ether, $592 million went out the door.

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US spot bitcoin ETFs lost around $450 million (roughly €390 million) of investor money on Tuesday 15 September 2026. That is the heaviest single-day outflow since late June. The immediate trigger is not hard to find: a day earlier, the Clarity Act stalled in the US Senate. On Wednesday 16 September the Federal Reserve's rate decision landed on top of it.

The figures

According to data provider SoSoValue, $450.33 million flowed out of US spot bitcoin ETFs — their worst trading day since 25 June. Cointelegraph, working from Farside data, arrived at almost the same amount, $450.4 million, and names 24 June as the previous low with $469 million. The exact comparison date therefore differs by a day depending on the source; the order of magnitude does not.

Farside's fund breakdown shows where the money came from: Fidelity's FBTC lost $214.8 million, BlackRock's IBIT $161.7 million, Grayscale's GBTC $44.1 million, ARK 21Shares $17.4 million and Bitwise $12.4 million.

Ether ETFs went down with them. SoSoValue recorded $141.47 million of outflows there (roughly €123 million), which BeInCrypto describes as their heaviest day since 30 January. Together that brings the total to around $592 million (roughly €513 million).

Where it came from

The outflow followed directly on the failed Senate vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act: 49 votes in favour, 50 against, 60 needed. What went wrong there and what the law would have settled is set out in Clarity Act fails in the Senate.

The wider market moved with it. The CoinDesk 20 Index lost 4.6% on Tuesday, its steepest decline since 5 June. Bitcoin itself held up relatively well and traded at around $75,700 (roughly €65,600) on Wednesday morning. Tokens tied more directly to US regulation took a harder hit: Stellar lost 9.6% over 24 hours, XRP 8.1%.

And then the Fed landed on top of it

On Wednesday 16 September the Federal Reserve announced its rate decision. A hike was the scenario the market was pricing in — the odds had already climbed to 86.5% earlier that week, as we described in Bitcoin holds near $77,800 as AI worries weigh on tech.

For the ETF flows that means something specific: Tuesday's outflow fell in a week in which investors were also waiting on a rate hike. A single-day figure is harder to read in a week like that than it normally would be, because two events compete for the same explanation.

What this does and does not mean

An ETF outflow is a real signal: money is leaving the funds on balance, and that weighs on the price. But it is a snapshot of capital flows, not a verdict on bitcoin itself.

The comparison makes that visible. Three weeks earlier, in the week of 24 August, bitcoin ETFs pulled in $1.92 billion of inflows. The same funds, the same investors, a different news picture. When the trigger is a political event rather than a change to the network or to the funds, flows can turn around just as quickly.

What does stand: market structure legislation in the United States has become unlikely this year, and the industry is now looking to the SEC and the CFTC for rules. That is a slower route, and slower means uncertain for longer.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is an ETF outflow?

The balance of what goes into and out of the funds on a given day. In an outflow, investors sell more units on balance than they buy, after which the fund manager has to sell bitcoin to cover it. That usually weighs on the price.

Why was the ether outflow more striking in relative terms?

Because for ether it was the heaviest day since 30 January, while bitcoin merely fell back to its level of late June. With ether, a longer run of quiet days was broken in one go.

Does this mean institutional investors are staying away from crypto?

This figure is too short a window for that. Three weeks earlier there was an inflow week of $1.92 billion on the other side. One day of outflows following directly on one political event is not a trend.

Why do the amounts differ between sources?

SoSoValue and Farside both count daily net flows, but use slightly different cut-off times and rounding. Hence $450.33 million against $450.4 million, and 25 June against 24 June as the previous low.

This article is informational and not financial advice. Crypto prices can move sharply; never put in more than you can afford to lose.

Sources

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