Ethereum US Spot Demand Slips Amid Crypto Market Pressure

Core Insights - Demand for Ethereum from U.S. investors has significantly decreased as Bitcoin's price fell by 2.8%, leading to a broader crypto market decline with $832 million in total liquidations [1][2] - The seven-day average outflow from U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs reached 281 BTC, the lowest since April, while Ethereum ETF inflows have nearly stalled since mid-August, indicating weak investor confidence [2][4] - Institutional investors are reassessing risk due to new macroeconomic conditions, including elevated bond yields and a declining speculative appetite, which has affected the demand for high-beta cryptocurrencies like Ethereum [4][5] Market Dynamics - The early inflows into Ethereum ETFs were driven by reallocation rather than strong conviction, particularly due to the migration from Grayscale's ETHE product [3] - The closing of the arbitrage window and Ethereum's underperformance compared to Bitcoin and Solana have contributed to the cooling of ETF inflows [3] - The decline in U.S. demand is reflected in the Coinbase premium, which has been steadily decreasing towards zero for both Bitcoin and Ethereum, signaling reduced domestic buying pressure [5] Institutional Behavior - Ethereum's six-month CME basis has dropped to a three-month low of 3%, indicating weaker demand for leveraged exposure [6] - With the basis nearing zero, institutions are less willing to pay a premium for Ethereum, leading to a cooling of short-term appreciation expectations [6] - Elevated CME open interest suggests that institutional investors have shifted from aggressive positioning to risk management, rather than completely exiting the market [6]