Bitcoin is showing signs of stabilization after falling toward $80,000 earlier this week. BTC recovered toward $82,500 on Friday and continued trading around that area on Saturday as investors reacted to a sharp change in ETF flows.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded roughly $21.1 million in net inflows on October 9. That marked a return to positive flows after two major outflow sessions that removed more than $700 million combined. BlackRock's IBIT led the latest inflows with about $22.4 million.
The rebound is small compared with the previous withdrawals, but the direction matters. Bitcoin ETFs lost about $487 million on October 7 and another $244.1 million on October 8. A return to positive flows suggests some institutional demand is starting to reappear after the selloff.
Ethereum is telling a different story. U.S. spot Ether ETFs recorded roughly $56.1 million in net outflows on October 9, extending the withdrawal streak to nine consecutive sessions. Total outflows across the latest seven sessions have reached about $635 million.
That creates an important split between the two largest crypto assets. Bitcoin is beginning to attract fresh ETF demand while Ethereum continues to see institutional withdrawals. The difference shows that investors are not treating the entire crypto market the same way during the current period of volatility.
The wider market is still dealing with heavy pressure. More than $2.4 billion in crypto positions were liquidated during the week as Bitcoin fell from around $85,700 toward $82,500. Rising Treasury yields and elevated oil prices added to the risk-off environment.
The macro picture is also keeping traders cautious. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield remained above 5.2%, while markets are looking ahead to September inflation data for clues about the Federal Reserve's next policy decision.
Pro Tip: Watch the gap between Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF flows. If BTC inflows continue while ETH withdrawals slow, institutional preference could become one of the biggest market narratives in October.
Bitcoin's latest recovery is still modest, but the ETF data gives the market a new signal. After two days of heavy withdrawals, Bitcoin funds have returned to positive territory while Ethereum remains under sustained pressure. The next few ETF sessions will show whether this is the start of stabilization or only a short pause in the selling.