Over $450M exits spot Bitcoin ETFs as market reacts to trade war (2025)

Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw significant outflows on April 8 and 9, with $326.3 million and $127.2 million withdrawn, respectively. These movements followed a $103 million outflow on April 7, as reported by CryptoSlate.

On April 8, BlackRock’s IBIT recorded the largest outflow, losing $252.9 million. Bitwise’s BITB and ARK’s ARKB followed, shedding $21.7 million and $19.9 million, respectively. Outflows continued on April 9, led by IBIT with another $89.7 million in redemptions and Grayscale’s BTC product with $33.8 million. The only ETF to see inflows these two days was BITB, which added $6.7 million, showing some isolated demand despite the broader market downturn.

The increasing withdrawals from spot Bitcoin ETFs are the market’s answer to the escalating trade tensions between the US and China. On April 2, President Donald Trump imposed a reciprocal tariff on Chinese imports, effective April 9, raising the total tariff to 104%.

In retaliation, China announced a 34% tariff on US goods, effective April 10. These actions have heightened fears of a trade war, leading to volatility across financial markets. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite have declined over 15% and nearly 21% year-to-date, respectively.

Bitcoin has not been immune to these developments. Its drawdown widened to 27%, nearing levels observed during the FTX collapse, reflecting the broader market’s risk-off sentiment.

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