Bitcoin Pulls Back as ETF Outflows and Shutdown Fears Reshape the Narrative
If you’ve been watching crypto this week, the tone has clearly changed. Bitcoin is hovering around the $87K area, and the mood feels more cautious than it did even a couple of weeks ago. A big part of that shift is coming from institutions: U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs just went through a rough stretch, with reports pointing to about $1.7B in net outflows over the week—one of the heaviest pullbacks in months.
At the same time, the macro backdrop isn’t helping. Shutdown talk in Washington is back on the front page, and prediction-market pricing has been signaling roughly ~78% odds heading into the January 31 deadline. In that “safety first” environment, traditional havens have grabbed the spotlight: gold has pushed above $5,000/oz, and silver has moved above $100/oz, which says a lot about where nerves are right now.
Still, there’s progress happening under the surface. Nasdaq has expanded Monday and Wednesday short-term options expirations for a group that includes IBIT, a reminder that crypto-linked market infrastructure keeps getting deeper—even when price action feels messy.
