US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds recorded a fifth consecutive week of net withdrawals, extending the longest negative streak since early 2025 as institutional demand softened alongside a broader pullback in digital assets. Key Takeaways: Spot Bitcoin ETFs posted a fifth straight week of withdrawals, losing about $316 million and roughly $3.8 billion over the streak. Midweek selling outweighed Friday inflows, showing cooling institutional demand despite stable prices. Capital appears to be rotati ...

The stock market may have hit record highs in 2025, but for many Americans, it doesn’t feel like prosperity. A new Q4 2025 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study from the Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement shows a clear disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. Even as markets climb, households are pulling back on long-term savings and bracing for turbulence ahead. Related: U.S. state retirement fund boosts MicroStrategy stake despite stock downgrade Retirement savings take a hit More than ...

Crypto investments are still prominent in Harvard’s endowment, as filings show that the university has purchased Ethereum. The Ivy League school bought about $87 million in BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission released on Friday. The purchase coincided with a decision by Harvard sell 21% of its holdings of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). The value of the sold Bitcoin amounted to around $72 million based on an end-of-year closing price ...

Core Viewpoint - Cathie Wood's ARK Invest has significantly increased its holdings in Robinhood Markets, viewing the recent stock decline as a buying opportunity rather than a warning sign [1][5]. Group 1: Investment Activity - ARK Invest purchased approximately $50 million worth of Robinhood shares in early February 2026, with the largest single-day purchase of $23.8 million occurring on February 11 [2][3]. - The February purchases included $21.7 million on February 2 and $5.2 million on February 3, bringing the total allocation for the month to around $50.7 million [3]. - The February 11 purchase represented 10.63% of ARKK's position in Robinhood added in a single day, making Robinhood one of the top 10 holdings across ARK funds [4]. Group 2: Company Performance - Robinhood reported diluted earnings per share of $0.66 for the fourth quarter of 2025, exceeding analyst expectations, while total net revenue increased by 27% year-over-year to $1.28 billion [6]. - Transaction-based revenue rose by 15% to $776 million, although the crypto segment experienced a significant decline [6]. - Crypto transaction revenue fell by 38% to $221 million, indicating a slowdown in digital asset trading activity, with total crypto notional volumes at $82 billion, reflecting a 52% year-over-year decline [7].

Core Insights - The recent sharp decline in the crypto market has significantly impacted the valuations of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies, yet financial advisors have managed to remain insulated from this volatility due to their cautious approach to crypto allocation [1][2]. Group 1: Market Trends - Advisors primarily utilize ETFs for crypto allocations, with a notable increase in trading volume during the recent market crash; for instance, BlackRock's spot bitcoin ETF, IBIT, recorded nearly 300 million shares traded, amounting to over $10 billion in notional value [2]. - Despite Bitcoin's value stabilizing around $70,000 after a drop from a peak of approximately $100,000, the market sentiment remains bearish regarding a recovery, with Bitcoin perpetual futures indicating ongoing warning signs [2]. Group 2: Advisor Allocation Insights - According to FUSE Research, only 25% of surveyed financial advisors allocate to crypto, with Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and wirehouses showing higher allocations compared to Independent Broker-Dealers (IBDs); an additional 15% of advisors plan to incorporate crypto within the next two years [3]. - Analysis of 13-F filings reveals that only 4% of practicing RIAs hold any crypto ETFs, and among those allocating to crypto ETFs, the majority have less than 1% of Assets Under Management (AUM) invested in them, with a few firms exceeding 5% [4]. Group 3: Risk Management and Client Profiles - Studies suggest that crypto allocations exceeding 2% in traditional portfolios can lead to significant concentration of risk, which aligns with the current allocation trends among advisors [5]. - The small number of firms with crypto allocations above 5% tend to be smaller RIAs with a high concentration of high-net-worth clients, indicating that these clients possess the financial capacity and risk tolerance to make substantial investments in crypto [6].

Market Overview - The cryptocurrency market has experienced a $2 trillion wipeout, yet venture capitalists continue to invest, with $258 million poured into crypto companies in the first week of February [1] - Key sectors attracting investment include decentralized finance and payments, with four and three deals respectively [1] Investment Trends - Venture capitalists are shifting focus towards later-stage projects that have institutional partnerships and clear go-to-market strategies, aiming to identify promising projects before they achieve mainstream success [2] Major Funding Rounds - **Anchorage Digital**: Secured $100 million in strategic funding led by Tether, positioning itself as a comprehensive service provider for institutional clients in digital asset finance [3][4] - **TRM Labs**: Raised $70 million in a Series C round led by Blockchain Capital, achieving a valuation of $1 billion. The company provides analytics software for tracing transactions and preventing fraud in digital asset networks [5][6] - **Jupiter**: Completed a $35 million funding round from ParaFi Capital, utilizing its stablecoin JupUSD for the transaction [7]

Core Viewpoint - The stock of Strategy, a major holder of Bitcoin, experienced a significant decline following disappointing earnings results, reflecting broader market concerns impacting crypto investors [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Strategy's shares fell nearly 5% in after-hours trading after a 17% drop during the day, indicating a strong negative reaction to the earnings miss [1] - The company's performance is closely tied to Bitcoin prices, which recently hit their lowest level since November 2024 [1] Group 2: Market Context - Broader stock market jitters contributed to the decline in Strategy's stock, highlighting the interconnectedness of traditional and cryptocurrency markets [1]

Core Insights - Indian crypto investors are shifting from speculative trading to a more strategic approach, focusing on fundamentals and long-term potential of assets like Bitcoin [1][3] - The behavior of investors has evolved, with an increase in systematic investment plans (SIPs) and thoughtful market orders, contrasting sharply with the frenzied trading seen in 2021 [2][3] Market Trends - Bitcoin's price has decreased to $75,000 from a peak of over $126,000 in October, with altcoins experiencing even larger losses [4] - Despite the price drop, trading volumes on exchanges have increased from approximately $269 million in December to around $309 million in January, indicating a balance between profit-taking by short-term traders and accumulation by long-term investors [5] Regulatory Environment - India maintains a cautious regulatory stance on digital assets, treating them as taxable Virtual Digital Assets (VDA) rather than legal tender, with a 30% tax on crypto gains and a 1% transaction tax [6] - New regulations require strict KYC compliance and accurate reporting of user transactions by exchanges, aimed at enhancing compliance and preventing money laundering [7] - The Union Budget 2026 proposes to strengthen compliance for crypto platforms to curb tax evasion in virtual digital assets [7][8]

Core Insights - The anticipated shift of investors trading gold and silver for Bitcoin has not materialized; instead, there is a trend of crypto investors moving their capital into gold during economic uncertainty [1][2]. Group 1: Market Trends - Investors are currently favoring traditional safety in gold over cryptocurrencies, despite recent volatility in precious metals [2]. - Bitcoin's price has dropped to approximately $72,884, marking its lowest since November 2024, while Ethereum has fallen to around $2,233 [3]. - Large investors, or "whales," exhibit mixed behavior; one whale borrowed $20 million in USDT to acquire 8,806 ETH, while others liquidated their positions [4]. Group 2: Economic Influences - A partial U.S. government shutdown that began on January 31 contributed to the shift away from crypto, creating uncertainty and delaying economic data [5]. - The shutdown led to significant outflows from Bitcoin ETFs and liquidations, directly impacting the price declines of Bitcoin and major altcoins [6]. - Following the resolution of the shutdown, Bitcoin's price stabilized, rebounding towards approximately $76,000 [7]. Group 3: Investment Shifts - The movement of crypto capital into gold has pushed gold prices above $5,000 per ounce, with many investors opting for tokenized gold products like XAUT and PAXG instead of physical bars [8].

Group 1: Bitcoin ETF Inflows - Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US recorded a net inflow of $561.9 million on February 2, with FBTC and IBIT leading the inflows at $153.3 million and $142 million respectively [1] - This follows a significant net outflow of $1.61 billion in January for these products [1] Group 2: Price Movements - Bitcoin's price fell below $75,000 for the first time since April 2025, currently trading at $78,500 [2] - Ethereum has seen a 26% decline over the past 30 days, with its price hovering around $2,300 [2] Group 3: Exchange Activity - Bitcoin holders deposited 3,220 BTC into centralized exchanges, resulting in a net inflow of $252.6 million [3] - Conversely, Ethereum experienced a net outflow of 143,640 ETH from centralized exchanges, valued at over $335 million [3] Group 4: Ethereum Accumulation - BitMine, a prominent Ethereum investment company, purchased 41,000 ETH on February 2, increasing its total holdings to 4.285 million ETH, which is 3.55% of the circulating supply [4] - Additionally, a crypto whale bought 33,000 ETH, worth $76.6 million, during the price dip on February 2 [5]