A local media report claims that Q1 2025’s four worst-performing ETFs in the UK were all related to crypto and blockchain. These products track more nebulous market indicators, not specific tokens.
However, global recession fears are also spurring a downturn in ETFs tied to specific assets. This data from Britain is only one piece of the puzzle, but it doesn’t suggest an optimistic outcome in the near future.
However, according to a local media report, a few crypto products are the worst-performing ETFs in the UK in Q1 2025.
Morningstar, a British finance publication, claimed that Q1 2025’s four lowest-performing ETFs in the UK were crypto and blockchain-related.
The worst offenders were VanEck Crypto & Blockchain Innovators UCITS ETF (DAPP), Global X Blockchain UCITS ETF (BKCH), and iShares Blockchain Technology UCITS ETF (BLKC).
Worst-Performing ETFs in the UK. Source: Morningstar
It is very important to note that all these ETFs are tied to the crypto market in general, not specific tokens. As friendlier US regulators have signaled fresh approvers, issuers are launching more of these indirect products.
Three of the four worst-performing ETFs in the UK are traded by major crypto-related issuers.
All that is to say, this recent data from the UK could give valuable insights into the global crypto ETF market. None of these results paint an optimistic picture, and the bearish news from token-specific ETFs only makes the market seem more dismal.
It may be too soon to say, but institutional crypto funds may be in for a contraction.
As geopolitical tensions intensify and investor sentiment deteriorates, bearish pressure has continued spreading across Bitcoin’s spot and derivatives markets.
The uncertainty surrounding global macroeconomic stability has led many market participants to take a risk-off approach, with the coin showing signs of vulnerability as the second quarter draws to a close.
Bitcoin Futures Turn Bearish
With the coin struggling to rally momentum around the $103,000 price mark, Bitcoin futures traders have increasingly positioned against the coin.
According to Coinglass, the coin’s long/short ratio — a key measure of trader sentiment — has tilted heavily toward shorts since June 17, indicating a growing belief that BTC’s recent rally may be losing momentum. At press time, the ratio is 0.95, indicating more traders are betting against the altcoin.
This ratio compares the number of long and short positions in a market. When an asset’s long/short ratio is above 1, there are more long than short positions, indicating that traders are predominantly betting on a price increase.
Conversely, as seen with BTC, a ratio below one indicates that most traders are positioning for a price drop. This reflects heightened bearish sentiment and growing expectations of continued downside movements in the short term.
Moreover, daily chart readings from BTC’s BBTrend indicator reinforce the bearish outlook. As BTC’s price momentum weakens, the green histogram bars on the indicator have steadily fallen in size, signaling a decline in buying pressure and a loss of bullish strength.
The BBTrend is used to gauge the strength and direction of price trends. It appears as histogram bars — green when the trend is bullish and red when bearish.
When the BBTrend turns negative or the green bars shrink, upward momentum is fading, and the asset may be entering a consolidation phase or facing a reversal.
A consistently negative BBTrend suggests that selling pressure is dominating, increasing the likelihood of an extended price correction for BTC.
BTC Slips to Two-Week Low: Will Support at $102,000 Hold?
Yesterday, BTC’s price fell to a 15-day low of $102,345. Although it rebounded and closed at $103,297, bearish pressure remains, with the coin still down 2% over the past 24 hours.
If new demand continues to be limited, BTC’s price could extend its dip toward $101,520. Should the bulls fail to defend this critical support level, the asset could plunge further to $97,658.
Bitcoin Price Analysis. Source: TradingView
On the other hand, if buying pressure strengthens, BTC could rebound and attempt a break above $103,952. A successful move past this level may open the door for a rally toward $106,295.
The SEC just approved a new ETF application from Grayscale, combining Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and Cardano into one product. This represents a major breakthrough for regulatory approval.
BTC and ETH, which already have available spot ETFs, make up more than 90% of the product’s composition. Still, this sets a few big precedents for the US ETF market.
According to the SEC filing, Grayscale’s new ETF will heavily weigh towards Bitcoin; 80.20% of its value goes to it. ETH will represent 11.39% of the ETF’s value, XRP 4.82%, Solana 2.78%, and Cardano 0.81%. Technically, this will be the first US spot ETF that’s tied to these major altcoins, but BTC and Ethereum make up more than 90% of the fund. These assets already have spot ETFs.
Still, this is a major signal from the SEC. Several firms are attempting to create bundled products and altcoin ETFs alike, but Grayscale finally won the race. Hopefully, this indicates some similar approvals in the near future.
Bitcoin (BTC) enters May 2025 with renewed momentum, gaining over 14% in the past 30 days and trading just 6.3% below the key $100,000 mark. Behind the price action, Bitcoin’s apparent demand has turned positive for the first time since late February, signaling a shift in on-chain behavior.
However, fresh inflows—especially from US-based ETFs—remain subdued compared to 2024 levels, suggesting institutional conviction has yet to fully return. According to MEXC COO Tracy Jin, if current conditions hold, a summer rally toward $150,000 is plausible, with sentiment turning increasingly bullish.
Bitcoin Apparent Demand Turns Positive, But Fresh Inflows Still Lacking
Bitcoin’s apparent demand has shown clear signs of recovery recently, rising to 65,000 BTC over the past 30 days. This marks a sharp rebound from the trough on March 27, when apparent demand—defined as the net 30-day change in holdings across all investor cohorts—reached a deeply negative level of -311,000 BTC.
Apparent demand reflects the aggregated balance shifts across wallets and provides insight into whether capital is entering or exiting the Bitcoin network.
While the current demand level is still well below earlier peaks in 2024, a meaningful inflection point occurred on April 24: Bitcoin’s apparent demand turned positive and has remained positive for six consecutive days after nearly two months of sustained outflows.
Despite this improvement, broader demand momentum remains weak.
The continued lack of significant new inflows suggests that most of the recent accumulation may be driven by existing holders rather than fresh capital entering the market.
For Bitcoin to mount a sustainable rally, both apparent demand and demand momentum must show consistent and synchronized growth. Until that alignment occurs, the current stabilization may not support a strong or prolonged price breakout.
US Spot Bitcoin ETF Inflows Still Far Below 2024 Levels
Bitcoin purchases from U.S.-based ETFs have remained largely flat since late March, fluctuating between daily net flows of -5,000 to +3,000 BTC.
This activity level sharply contrasts with the strong inflows seen in late 2024, when daily purchases frequently exceeded 8,000 BTC and contributed to Bitcoin’s initial rally toward $100,000.
So far in 2025, BTC ETFs have collectively accumulated a net total of 28,000 BTC, well below the more than 200,000 BTC they had purchased by this point last year.
This decline shows a slowdown in institutional demand, which has historically been key in driving major price movements.
Bitcoin: Net Cumulative Inflows to US Spot ETFs by Year. Source: CryptoQuant.
There are early signs of a modest rebound, with ETF inflows beginning to tick higher recently. However, current levels remain insufficient to fuel a sustained uptrend.
ETF activity is often viewed as a proxy for institutional conviction, and a notable increase in purchases would likely signal renewed confidence in Bitcoin’s medium-term trajectory.
Until those inflows return in force, the broader market may struggle to generate the momentum needed for a prolonged rally.
Bitcoin Nears $100,000 as Momentum Builds Despite Macro Pressure
Bitcoin price has gained over 14% in the past 30 days, rebounding strongly after dipping below $75,000 in April.
This renewed momentum comes as BTC shows relative resilience amid broader macroeconomic volatility and policy-driven pressures, including Trump’s tariff measures that have weighed on risk assets.
While the entire crypto market has felt the impact, Bitcoin appears to be detaching slightly, showing less sensitivity to these external shocks than other digital assets.
BTC now sits just 6.3% below the $100,000 mark and remains under 17% from a potential move toward $110,000. According to Tracy Jin, COO of MEXC, sentiment is turning positive again:
“Beyond immediate price action, the growing institutional appetite and shrinking supply mechanisms against the macroeconomic uncertainty backdrop point to a structural shift in Bitcoin’s role within the global financial market. BTC is used to hedging against inflation and the fiat-based financial model. Its liquidity, scalability, programmability, and global accessibility offer a reliable modern alternative to traditional financial instruments for many corporations,” Jin said.
According to Jin, a summer rally towards $150,000 is plausible. She stressed that the $95,000 range will likely become a launch point for the brewing decisive breakout above $100,000 in the coming days.
” Should global trade tensions stabilize further and institutional accumulation continues, a summer rally towards $150,000 is plausible, potentially extending towards $200,000 by 2026. Overall, the external background remains favorable for the continuation of the upward movement, especially given the growth of stock indices on Friday, which could support Bitcoin over the weekend.”
