Crypto ETF Flows: Institutional Divergence on December 15, 2025
Crypto ETF flows on Monday, December 15, 2025, showed a significant divergence in institutional demand, with XRP-linked products continuing their record inflow streak while BTC and ETH ETFs faced pressure amid macro caution and price fragileness. The overall market sentiment was “risk-off,” reflected in BTC’s price slide below the $87,000 mark during the day.
XRP ETFs Maintain Record Inflow Streak
XRP Spot ETFs were the clear institutional favorite, extending a streak of daily net inflows that has now lasted for approximately one month. While specific data for December 15 may not be finalized until later, the continuing momentum suggests XRP ETFs maintained their positive flow, with the cumulative total nearing the $1 billion assets under management (AUM) milestone. Data through the previous week showed total inflows around $975 million to $991 million. Analysts attribute this consistent accumulation to structural demand, meaning institutional investors are adding XRP as a long-term portfolio component following its regulatory clarity, rather than using the products for tactical, short-term trading. This stands in stark contrast to BTC and ETH. significantly, this strong institutional demand is occurring despite XRP’s spot price struggling, trading near $1.92 and repeatedly being rejected at the $2.00 psychological and technical resistance level, a phenomenon analysts point to as large Over-The-Counter (OTC) acquisition by issuers masking the true purchaseing pressure.
BTC and ETH ETFs Face Outflow Pressure
BTC and ETH ETFs, the largest crypto categories by AUM, struggled with demand on December 15, reflecting a cautious institutional stance ahead of a heavy week of central bank decisions and US economic data. Market sentiment was subdued on Monday due to leverage unwinding and a sharp drop in BTC’s price. While broader weekly data shows overall net inflows into BTC products, the daily figures for BTC Spot ETFs have been choppy, often reflecting net outflows or very fragile inflows. Institutional confidence, as reflected in capital flows for ETF futures, has shown a decline in exposure over the past week, suggesting this pattern of reduced demand likely persisted on Monday. Similarly, Ether ETFs have shown a trend of choppier flows and sensitivity to macro uncertainty. While the preceding trading week ended with strong net inflows, the overall pattern has been volatile, and the fragileer price action on Monday suggested that the segment was likely under renewed pressure from investors looking to reduce risk exposure. In essence, December 15 reinforced the narrative of a maturing crypto ETF landscape where institutional capital is diversifying selectively, favoring assets with regulatory clarity (like XRP) for structural allocation, while using BTC and ETH products more tactically based on global macro risk appetite.
