Flight to safety? Crypto funds see outflows as investors fret over tariffs

  • Crypto ETPs faced $240 million in outflows last week due to US tariffs.
  • Bitcoin ETPs were the hardest hit, with $207 million in withdrawals.
  • The US led the outflows, followed by Germany.

Global cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs) experienced a sharp reversal of fortune last week, with outflows totaling $240 million as investors grew wary of the potential economic impact of new US trade tariffs.

This marks a significant shift after two consecutive weeks of robust inflows, which had amounted to $870 million, according to a report in CoinMarketCap.

According to a CoinShares report, Bitcoin-related ETPs were the hardest hit, suffering withdrawals of $207 million, leaving the total assets under management at $132.6 billion – a modest 0.8% increase from the previous week.

The outflows were primarily concentrated in the United States, which saw $210 million withdrawn from its crypto funds.

Germany followed with $17.7 million in outflows, while Switzerland and Sweden also experienced net withdrawals.

In contrast, Canada and Brazil bucked the trend, with $4.8 million and $1.4 million, respectively, flowing into crypto funds.

Hong Kong and Australia also registered small inflows, offering a glimmer of optimism amid the broader market pullback.

Despite the recent setback, Bitcoin-related products still boast a year-to-date increase of $1.3 billion in investments.

However, the past week saw Bitcoin’s price plummet by more than 6%, largely due to tariff-related concerns and the pervasive economic uncertainty they sparked.

Beyond Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Solana, and Sui, also experienced significant outflows, as investor sentiment soured.

Ethereum saw $37.7 million withdrawn, while Solana and Sui experienced outflows of $1.8 million and $4.7 million, respectively.

On the other hand, smaller tokens like Toncoin enjoyed some positive movement, attracting $1.1 million in inflows.

Grayscale bleeds, BlackRock remains strong

Grayscale’s Bitcoin funds led the outflows, with $95 million in withdrawals last week.

This pushed Grayscale’s year-to-date outflows to a staggering $1.4 billion, the highest among all ETP providers, reflecting ongoing adjustments within the digital asset management landscape.

Conversely, BlackRock’s iShares ETFs, while experiencing $56 million in outflows last week, still boasted $3.2 billion in total inflows for the year, demonstrating their continued strength.

Other major players like ProShares and ARK Invest also saw continued inflows for the year, albeit in smaller amounts, with $398 million and $146 million, respectively.

While crypto ETPs experienced a downturn, the cryptocurrency equities market displayed greater resilience.

Blockchain stocks, including those of Coinbase, saw $8 million in inflows for the second consecutive week, suggesting investor confidence in the underlying infrastructure and businesses despite broader market anxieties.

Industry insiders, such as Marcin Kazmierczak from RedStone, suggest that the situation reflects wider market dynamics rather than a specific downturn in crypto assets.

The overall sentiment indicates that the crypto sector remains relatively robust, supported by continued institutional growth and the development of real-world applications.

Despite the notable outflows from global crypto funds last week, particularly those tied to Bitcoin, the enduring appeal of blockchain equities suggests that the market is far from collapsing.

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signs “Bitcoin Rights” bill into law

  • Kentucky’s “Bitcoin Rights” bill has been signed into law.
  • The “Bitcoin Rights” law protects crypto use and mining in the state of Kentucky.
  • The law also bans discriminatory zoning and clarifies mining rules.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed the “Bitcoin Rights” bill into law on March 24, 2025, cementing the state’s position as a leader in digital asset protection.

Known officially as House Bill 701, this legislation safeguards the rights of Kentuckians to use, hold, and mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) without facing discriminatory regulations.

Notably, the bill’s unanimous passage through both the Kentucky House and Senate underscores a rare bipartisan consensus on the growing importance of blockchain technology in the modern economy.

“Bitcoin Rights” bill quickly passed the Kentucky House and Senate

The journey to this historic signing began on February 19, 2025, when Representative Adam Bowling introduced HB 701 to the Kentucky House.

Designed to protect the “right to self-custody, run a node, and use of digital assets,” as highlighted by the Satoshi Action Fund, the bill quickly gained traction.

By February 28, it sailed through the House with a resounding 91-0 vote, followed by an equally decisive 37-0 approval in the Senate on March 13.

Beshear’s signature just over a week later marked the culmination of a swift legislative process, reflecting Kentucky’s eagerness to embrace the crypto revolution.

What does Kentucky’s “Bitcoin Rights” law entail?

At its core, the “Bitcoin Rights” bill, now law, offers robust protections for crypto users and operators across the state. It explicitly bans local governments from enacting zoning changes that unfairly target cryptocurrency mining, ensuring that miners can operate without undue interference.

Additionally, the legislation clarifies that mining and staking activities do not require a money transmitter license and are not classified as securities offerings.

This clarity removes significant legal hurdles, fostering an environment where individuals and businesses can confidently engage with digital assets.

It also sets guidelines for running crypto nodes and ensures that digital assets can be used freely without fear of discrimination.

Notably, the Kentucky law mirrors a similar legislative effort in Oklahoma, where Governor Kevin Stitt signed a comprehensive crypto bill into law in May 2024.

Oklahoma’s legislation, effective November 1, 2024, also protects self-custody and mining while prohibiting discriminatory energy rates for crypto businesses. Kentucky’s move, however, adds a unique twist by explicitly addressing local zoning issues, a provision that could set a precedent for other states.

US states including Kentucky are working on Bitcoin reserve bills

The timing of Beshear’s signing is particularly notable, as it coincided with significant crypto-related developments elsewhere in the US.

On the same day, March 24, 2025, Oklahoma’s Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act passed its State House of Representatives with a 77-15 vote.

This bill, now awaiting Senate approval, aims to establish a state-managed Bitcoin reserve, signalling a growing trend among states to integrate digital assets into their financial frameworks.

Kentucky itself has a similar bill under review, which could allow up to 10% of excess state reserves to be allocated to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC).

While the US Congress continues to debate bills on stablecoins and broader crypto regulations, states like Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Arizona are forging ahead. Arizona, for instance, is leading the “State Bitcoin reserve race,” with two strategic digital asset reserve bills advancing to its House floor on March 24, 2025.

Meanwhile, Missouri’s Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs is evaluating its own Bitcoin reserve proposal, hinting at a competitive push among states to become crypto-friendly hubs.

For Kentucky, the “Bitcoin Rights” bill is more than just a legal framework—it’s a statement of economic intent. By protecting home and industrial crypto mining and ensuring equitable access to energy rates, the state is positioning itself as a welcoming destination for blockchain innovation.

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Strategy plans to offer five million shares with new preferred stock to purchase additional Bitcoin

  • The shares will accumulate cumulative dividends at a fixed rate of 10% each year
  • Strategy said that dividend payments will begin paying out on June 30, 2025
  • To date, Strategy holds under 500k Bitcoin, valued at over $40 billion

Strategy is planning to offer five million shares of the company’s Series A perpetual strife preferred stock, $STRF, as it works on acquiring more Bitcoin.

In an announcement, Michael Saylor’s Strategy said it intends to use the proceeds for “general corporate purposes,” including the “acquisition of Bitcoin.” However, it noted that this was “subject to market, and other conditions.”

According to the company, the shares will accumulate cumulative dividends at a fixed rate of 10% per year. Dividends will be paid out beginning on June 30, 2025 “out of funds legally available for their payment,” Strategy said.

Raising funds for Bitcoin

The news comes as Strategy announced earlier this month that it’s planning to issue and sell shares of up to $21 billion in its at-the-market (ATM) program.

Through selling shares of its 8.00% Series A perpetual strike preferred stock, $STRK, Strategy said the additional capital will be used for general corporate operations, including the purchase of more Bitcoin.

The latest news also follows a recent Bitcoin purchase Strategy made in an announcement yesterday. In a post on X, Saylor said it had acquired 130 Bitcoin for $10.7 million at an average price of $82,981 per Bitcoin.

To date, Strategy now holds 499,226 Bitcoin, valued at $40.92 billion, according to SaylorTracker.com.

Peter Schiff, a long-time opponent of Bitcoin, commented on Saylor’s tweet, saying: “Is that all you bought?  Seems like you are running out of fire power.”

Crypto prices decline

News of Strategy’s recent Bitcoin purchase and its share offering comes as crypto prices across the market have seen a sharp decline.

At the time of publishing, Bitcoin is trading around $81,000, a substantial drop from its all-time high of $109,000 reached in January ahead of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Market conditions and geopolitical issues continue to impact prices despite Trump signing an executive order in March to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

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Crypto market sees over $230 million in liquidations

The crypto market continues to struggle with downward pressure, with over $230 million in liquidations recorded in a single day.

Per data from Coinglass, total liquidations were up 157% in the past 24 hours. Over this period, more than 95,478 traders had been liquidated.

At the time of writing, the total liquidations stood at $232 million. Data showed the largest single liquidation order coming in on Binance for an ETH/USDT position valued at $5.59 million.

ETH, XRP and SOL liquidations

The crypto market’s total capitalization stands at $2.8 trillion, with Bitcoin’s dominance at 58.9%.

However, the latest wave of liquidations has hit traders hard, particularly those convinced the price was on the upward mend.

With leveraged positions largely longs, most of the rekt positions were bullish bets. Coinglass data shows over $73 million and nearly $44 million are for Bitcoin and Ethereum.

XRP and Solana also witnessed huge liquidation.

Crypto price outlook

As noted, Bitcoin (BTC) saw over $73 million in liquidations.  This followed another massive short position for BTC, with a whale taking a 40x leverage. The whale’s liquidation is above $86,000. BTC price currently hovers around $83,316. What happens to the whale?

Crypto trader and analyst Ash Crypto notes an announcement from Strategy founder Michael Saylor buying more BTC could see the $380 million whale record substantial losses.

“If Saylor announces that he is buying $2 billion Bitcoin soon or even hints it, $380 million 40x short whale will get liquidated in a single candle,” the analyst posted on X.

Another analyst shared:

Currently, Bybit, Binance and OKX lead the total liquidations mark.

As bulls plot to fell the bears, the rising liquidations underscore the risks of leverage. In a volatile market, millions or even billions could get wiped out in hours.

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