Crypto market ends week on downtrend amid outflows from ETFs and investor caution

24.05.2026    19:08

The cryptocurrency market is ending the week in a mode of cautious consolidation: Bitcoin is holding near $76,000, Ethereum is around $2,100, and investors are assessing outflows from spot ETFs, macroeconomic risks, and the prospects for digital asset regulation in the U.S.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading around $76,300, and Ethereum around $2,087. Daily dynamics remained moderately positive after a dip at the start of the week, though the market has not yet managed to return to sustained growth.

Outflows from cryptocurrency ETFs put pressure on the market throughout the week. According to industry reports, spot BTC ETFs in the U.S. recorded significant net outflows, and Ethereum ETFs were also under pressure. Amber Group noted that ETF flows for BTC and ETH had shifted toward outflows, reflecting more cautious investor sentiment.

WSJ Market Talk painted a similar picture: nearly $1.7 billion flowed out of Bitcoin ETFs over five days, while long-term Bitcoin holders did not exhibit significant selling pressure. Ethereum, according to this review, remained noticeably below its May peak amid sustained outflows from ETH ETFs.

At the start of the week, Bitcoin fell to a more than two-week low, dropping to around $76,000 amid a stock market pullback and rising yields. MarketWatch noted that on May 18, BTC lost about 2.5%, and the intraday low was the lowest since late April.

However, the market partially recovered by the end of the week. The Economic Times attributed Bitcoin’s rebound to $78,000 to improved sentiment following Nvidia’s strong earnings report and stabilizing buyer demand. However, BTC has not yet managed to hold above this level.

According to CoinGecko, the total market capitalization of the crypto market is approximately $2.64 trillion, with Bitcoin’s market cap at around $1.54 trillion and its market share at approximately 58.1%. This indicates that the market remains in a phase of BTC dominance, and a full-scale rotation of capital into altcoins has not yet occurred.

CoinMarketCap also points to “Bitcoin Season”: the altseason index stands at around 37 out of 100, confirming Bitcoin’s dominance over most altcoins. Among the largest coins, BTC, ETH, BNB, Solana, and XRP were rising at the time, though the momentum remained more of a recovery than a surge.

For the coming week, the $75,000–$78,000 range remains the key technical benchmark for Bitcoin. Holding above $75,000 could maintain a sideways consolidation scenario with attempts to return to $78,000–$80,000. A break below this level would increase the risk of a move toward lower support levels. For Ethereum, the $2,000–$2,150 range remains important: the weakness of the ETH-ETF and the lack of strong rotation into altcoins limit the potential for a rapid recovery.

The medium-term outlook remains ambiguous. On the one hand, the market is supported by institutional interest, limited BTC supply, and Bitcoin’s enduring role as the primary crypto asset. On the other hand, outflows from ETFs, uncertainty regarding Fed rates, high correlation with tech stocks, and the weakness of altcoins make the market vulnerable to new corrections.

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