$561M Bitcoin Selloff: BlackRock Shifts Focus to Ethereum

Published 04/06/2025, 15:44
Updated 04/06/2025, 16:10
© Reuters $561M Bitcoin Selloff: BlackRock Shifts Focus to Ethereum

Crypto Daily - BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) has liquidated $561 million in Bitcoin while acquiring $69 million worth of Ethereum, signaling a strategic institutional pivot amid shifting crypto market dynamics.

BlackRock Reshuffles Crypto Holdings

The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, has made a significant strategic adjustment to its cryptocurrency portfolio, offloading a substantial portion of its Bitcoin holdings while acquiring Ethereum. The move, tracked through on-chain data over the past few days, signals a decisive shift in institutional sentiment within the digital asset market.

According to blockchain analytics platform Onchain Lens, a total of 5,362 BTC, valued at approximately $560.9 million, was transferred from wallets associated with BlackRock to Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) Prime accounts since the start of the week.

The transactions occurred in multiple tranches, primarily in blocks of 300 BTC, indicating an orchestrated liquidation effort via the institutional-grade platform commonly used for custody, rebalancing, and strategic exits.

Outflows Reflect Broader Market Caution

The substantial Bitcoin movements closely mirrored outflows from BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust. On Monday, the fund recorded $130.4 million in redemptions, followed by a considerably larger $430.8 million outflow on Tuesday. Combined, the two-day total reached $561 million, aligning with the volume of Bitcoin sold through Coinbase Prime.

This activity took place as U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs faced a wave of investor withdrawals, ending a streak of ten consecutive days of net inflows. Since last Thursday, the sector has seen cumulative outflows of $1.23 billion, a trend attributed to profit-taking and cautious repositioning after Bitcoin hit a record high of approximately $112,000 in May before retracing to around $103,000.

Ethereum Sees Rising Demand Amid Portfolio Rotation

While scaling back its Bitcoin exposure, BlackRock simultaneously ramped up its Ethereum purchases. Data shows the firm withdrew 27,241 ETH, worth $69.25 million, from Coinbase during the same period, a clear indicator of shifting institutional interest toward the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap.

This portfolio rotation coincided with a sharp increase in Ethereum network activity. On-chain data confirmed a 15% rise in Ethereum transactions over the past 24 hours, surpassing 1.2 million by 2:00 PM EST on June 3, 2025. The ETH/BTC trading pair also advanced 2.1% to 0.055, reflecting growing relative strength for Ethereum as Bitcoin’s momentum eased.

Market Impact and Investor Positioning

BlackRock’s aggressive portfolio adjustment has not gone unnoticed across financial markets. In the equities space, shares of Coinbase (COIN), a primary custodian and trading partner for institutional crypto flows, climbed 1.5% to $225.30 by mid-morning trading in New York.

In the broader crypto market, the reallocation has encouraged traders to position for further ETH gains against both BTC and USD. Market participants are reportedly eyeing key resistance levels for Ethereum, capitalizing on the current capital rotation trend driven by institutional flows.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

This content was originally published on Crypto Daily

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.