Ethereum ETF Sees $580M Outflows Ahead of Powell Speech

US-traded spot Ethereum (ETH) exchange-traded funds (ETF) experienced massive outflows totaling $578 million over three trading days from Aug. 18 to Aug. 21.

However, macroeconomic uncertainty rather than declining institutional interest is likely the driver for the outflows.

As a result, ETH’s price has fundamentals to keep its upward movement, though it is still vulnerable to macroeconomic developments.

Macro Backdrop Drives Risk-Off Sentiment

Farside Investors data showed that Aug. 19 recorded the second-largest single-day outflows in Ethereum ETF history at $429.6 million.

The outflow was exceeded only by the $465.1 million exodus recorded on Aug. 4 during a broader market correction.

The outflows coincide with heightened market volatility as investors position defensively ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole speech scheduled for Aug. 22.

Analysts noted that communication uncertainty from the Fed typically triggers profit-taking as traders de-risk positions ahead of major policy announcements.

Economic data adds to the uncertainty building. Producer Price Index figures exceeded forecasts, with July producer prices jumping 0.9% versus the anticipated 0.2% increase.

The hotter-than-expected inflation data raised questions about the persistence of price pressures and the Fed’s ability to implement aggressive rate cuts.

Further, President Donald Trump’s unveiling of modified “reciprocal” tariffs ranging between 10% and 41% on dozens of countries added additional uncertainty.

According to FOMC minutes published on Aug. 20, the Fed is still concerned that the tariffs’ shock might be stronger than the current effects.

Institutional Interest Signals Robustness

Despite the substantial outflows, Ethereum ETF have maintained net positive flows of approximately $2.1 billion throughout August.

Further, the ETFs broke the outflow streak with $287.6 million of positive flows in Aug. 21.

The positive flows relate to a backdrop of continued strong institutional demand for Ethereum exposure.

CoinShares data from Aug. 18 revealed that Ethereum exchange-traded products achieved record performance the previous week, with inflows totaling $2.87 billion from Aug. 11 to 15.

The weekly inflows represented 77% of total crypto ETF inflows and brought year-to-date flows to a record $11 billion.

CoinShares noted that Ethereum’s year-to-date inflows represented 29% of assets under management compared to Bitcoin’s 11.6%, indicating sustained institutional appetite.

Bloomberg senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas observed that Ethereum ETF “packed one year’s worth of flows into about six weeks” following months of underperformance.

Balchunas credited stablecoin and tokenization narratives for strengthening Ethereum’s use case. In addition, he noted the importance of corporate ETH acquisition by companies such as Bitmine.

Corporate Treasury Accumulation Contradicts Ethereum ETF Outflows

Corporate Ethereum (ETH) acquisitions provided a counterbalance to ETF outflows during the same period.

Strategic Ethereum Reserve data showed Bitmine accumulated 373,100 ETH worth $1.6 billion from Aug. 17 to Aug. 21. The company’s holdings reached 1.26% of Ethereum’s total supply, valued at $6.55 billion.

SharpLink, the second-largest corporate Ethereum holder, added 143,600 ETH worth $617.7 million during the same timeframe.

The combined corporate purchases totaled $2.2 billion, significantly exceeding the ETF outflows and signaling continued institutional confidence in Ethereum’s long-term prospects.

Ethereum Price Implications and Market Outlook

Varys Capital head of venture Tom Dunleavy attributed Ethereum’s 93% rally from Jul. 1 to Aug. 14 primarily to corporate treasury acquisitions.

Dunleavy noted that Digital Asset Treasury Companies’ purchasing approximately 3% of Ethereum’s supply contributed to doubling the token’s price.

Both Bitmine chairman Tom Lee and SharpLink chairman Joseph Lubin indicated plans to acquire additional Ethereum (ETH) holdings totaling approximately 8.5% of the token’s supply.

The continued corporate accumulation suggests potential price support despite short-term ETF volatility.

However, sustained Ethereum strength remains tied to macroeconomic conditions. Federal Reserve policy decisions, inflation trajectory, and trade policy developments will likely influence institutional risk appetite and ETF flows in the coming weeks.

The divergence between Ethereum ETF outflows and corporate accumulation highlights the distinction between short-term trading sentiment and long-term institutional strategy.

While retail and institutional ETF investors responded to immediate macro uncertainties, corporate treasuries maintained strategic accumulation programs based on longer-term value propositions.