Bitcoin ETF Inflows Reverse as Fed’s Hawkish Outlook Triggers Market Caution

Group 1 - Spot bitcoin ETFs experienced their first daily outflows in over a week, with a net outflow of $51.28 million, breaking a seven-day inflow streak that had accumulated nearly $3 billion [1] - Assets under management for bitcoin ETFs remain above $150 billion, despite the recent outflows [1] - The Federal Reserve's cautious outlook on future policy, highlighted by Chair Jerome Powell, has shifted market sentiment, leading to a pullback in risk assets [3] Group 2 - The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4.00% to 4.25%, marking its first cut of the year [2] - Updated projections from the Fed indicated only two more rate cuts in 2025 and fewer in 2026 than the market had anticipated [2] - Powell's warnings about "elevated" inflation and rising "downside risks" to employment contributed to a hawkish interpretation of the rate cut, affecting market confidence [3] Group 3 - Ethereum ETFs also faced redemptions, with net outflows of $1.89 million following a previous exit of $61.7 million [3] - Cryptocurrency prices showed slight increases, with Bitcoin rising approximately 0.3% and Ether increasing by 1.7% in the last 24 hours [4] - The broader CoinDesk 20 index rose by 2%, indicating a general positive movement in the cryptocurrency market [4]