[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) switched to large net outflows in the first week of October.

On Oct. 11, blockchain media outlet The Defiant reported that bitcoin spot ETFs saw net outflows of $678.9 million from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9.

The weekly outflows were the opposite of the prior week’s trend. Bitcoin spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $241.1 million from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, but the flow deteriorated sharply within a week. Combined, the two five-session periods resulted in total net outflows of $437.8 million. The week-to-week difference in flows reached $920 million.

The outflows partly reversed a September recovery. Earlier, $2.98 billion flowed into the ETFs over seven sessions through Sept. 25, and that trend had turned the cumulative 2026 flow back into positive territory. But as outflows continued in the first week of October, the year-to-date net inflow shrank again.

On a yearly basis, net inflows are still being maintained. By SoSoValue’s tally, the cumulative 2026 net inflow remained positive through Oct. 9. A separate calculation put the cumulative 2026 net inflow at about $500 million. That was down from about $940 million as of Sept. 25.

Weekly outflows were concentrated over two days. Net outflows on Oct. 7 alone were $484.9 million, and another $244.1 million left on Oct. 8. Total net outflows over the two days were $729 million.

On Oct. 7, BlackRock’s IBIT posted the largest net outflow at $207.7 million. Fidelity’s FBTC followed at $105.1 million, with ARKB at $101.7 million. The next day, FBTC led withdrawals with net outflows of $197.1 million.

Still, one-way outflows did not persist throughout the week. Oct. 5 began with net outflows of $89.8 million, but Oct. 6 saw net inflows of $118.8 million. Net inflows of $21.1 million were also recorded on Oct. 9, the last trading day of the week. That day, inflows of $22.4 million into IBIT and $2.3 million into HODL offset FBTC’s net outflow of $3.6 million.

The market itself remains large. SoSoValue said total net assets of bitcoin spot ETFs were $105.84 billion as of Oct. 9. Flows wobbled in the short term, but the market size based on assets under management (AUM) is being maintained.

The market’s next focus is expected to be whether this week’s net outflows remain a temporary adjustment or become a signal that inflows are slowing after September’s rebound. With recent outflows concentrated in major ETFs such as BlackRock and Fidelity, attention is likely to turn to whether flows recover again around large products.