BlackRock Clients Offload $303.82 Million in Ethereum Holdings
BlackRock clients have reportedly sold $303.82 million worth of Ethereum (ETH). This marks one of the largest institutional sell-offs in recent weeks. The move, first flagged by Whale Insider. It comes as on-chain data from Arkham and ETF trackers show increased trading activity across major Ethereum funds. The sale aligns with a period of high volatility in the Ethereum market. Where investors appear to be adjusting exposure following mixed ETF flows and shifting sentiment in digital assets.
Massive Sell-Off Follows Record ETF Activity
Arkham Intelligence data indicated multiple large-scale transfers linked to BlackRock related wallets over the past 24 hours. While the firm itself did not announce any liquidation. The wallet movements suggest institutional clients may have offloaded holdings through Coinbase Prime. A popular custody platform for large transactions.
Meanwhile, data from Blockworks’ Ethereum ETF Tracker showed trading volume of $3.38 billion in 24 hours. The total Ethereum ETF market cap stands at $25.08 billion as of October 14. BlackRock own iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) leads the market, accounting for $17.42 billion of total value. A dominant share compared to competitors like Grayscale, Fidelity, and VanEck. The heavy sell pressure from clients could reflect short-term rebalancing. Especially after Ethereum brief price rally last week that pushed it closer to the $2,700 level before pulling back.
Institutional Investors Reassess Ethereum Exposure
BlackRock involvement in spot Ethereum ETFs has drawn significant attention since their approval earlier this year. But institutional clients appear to be taking profits or rotating into Bitcoin, given the stronger inflows to Bitcoin ETFs in recent weeks. According to CoinShares’ latest report, Bitcoin products saw $2.67 billion in inflows last week. While Ethereum products only attracted $338 million.
The gap shows how institutions continue to favor Bitcoin during periods of market uncertainty. Ethereum recent performance has also been affected by slower network activity and concerns about declining staking yields. Analysts note that such conditions often lead to temporary pullbacks in institutional exposure before long term accumulation resumes.
Ethereum ETFs Still Dominate Market Share
Despite the sell-off, Ethereum remains a key player in the digital asset investment. BlackRock iShares Ethereum Trust continues to lead all ETH based ETFs by a wide margin. With over $1.9 billion in trading volume and strong year-to-date growth since its debut in January.
Other funds, including Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) and Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH). It has also maintained steady volume. They are showing that investor appetite for Ethereum exposure remains intact even amid corrections. While short term market activity suggests some clients are reducing holdings. Analysts believe this could be a tactical move ahead of potential macro events or Ethereum next network upgrade.
Market Outlook
The $303.82 million sell-off underscores how institutional sentiment toward Ethereum remains dynamic. Many large investors are still navigating between long term conviction and short term caution. As crypto markets adjust to macroeconomic developments and ETF driven liquidity. But the continued growth of Ethereum ETFs and the steady rise in total market capitalization. It suggests that institutional interest is far from fading.
With Ethereum on-chain fundamentals still strong and DeFi activity gradually recovering. The latest sell-off may represent a routine reshuffling rather than a loss of confidence. Currently, the spotlight remains on whether Ethereum can sustain institutional momentum. As Bitcoin continues to dominate inflows and headlines across the digital asset space.
