Bitcoin (BTC) Investors Faced Renewed Pressure

NAIROBI (CoinChapter.com) — Bitcoin (BTC) investors faced renewed pressure on Apr. 11 after institutional funds dumped nearly $150 million in BTC-linked exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Institutional funds sold a large amount of Bitcoin (BTC)-linked exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Monday, triggering renewed pressure on the cryptocurrency. The move also prompted one crypto commentator to warn of a Bitcoin “bubble” about to burst.

According to Jacob King, a well-known figure in the crypto sphere, several institutional funds pulled out of BTC ETFs in a 24-hour period, marking one of the fastest paces of ETF outflows seen so far this year.

“Institutions are dumping BTC at record speed. The Bitcoin bubble is popping,” King stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

His remarks come amidst a backdrop of fragile global market sentiment. Trade tensions remain elevated, and macro signals out of Washington are mixed.

As of Friday morning, Bitcoin was trading at $81,524, marking a nearly 10% decline from its April 2 local high, as per CoinMarketCap.

This selloff followed a tweet by Jacob King, who highlighted ETF outflows as a key point of stress.

CoinShares and other data providers recorded over $150 million in outflows from Bitcoin ETFs in the past day. This marks the steepest drawdown since late February, wiping out gains from institutional inflows seen earlier this quarter.

This pace of withdrawal has triggered debate among traders and commentators. Some view it as panic selling, while others frame it as repositioning amid uncertain macro trends.

Trump’s trade war escalations have created volatility across financial markets. The S&P 500 saw an increase of more than 8% on April 9 after the president put a pause on some of the newly announced import tariffs.

Bitcoin’s market cap also showed a similar 8% rebound, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

However, despite the temporary bounce, there is still uncertainty.

David Siemer, CEO of Wave Digital Assets, mentioned that economic instability tends to accelerate institutional interest in digital assets. He noted a growing shift toward blockchain-based settlement tools as traditional financial systems face increasing geopolitical risk.

Siemer added that the recent strength of Bitcoin highlights its role as a hedge. A Binance report dated April 7 also pointed to BTC’s “resilience” amid global turbulence.

On-chain data presents a contrasting view. Since early March, whales, defined as large BTC holders, have added more than 100,000 BTC to their wallets, according to data shared by caueconomy.

This accumulation trend continues despite muted network activity and fading interest from retail investors.

This divergence suggests that large players are exploiting price dips to lower their acquisition cost. While it may not signal an immediate reversal, it reflects long-term positioning by institutional entities often regarded as “smart money.” These cohorts typically exit during surges, potentially pressuring price once rallies gain momentum.

While King sounds the alarm bells, other traders argue that the correction may set the stage for a rebound. Pseudonymous trader Merlijn said BTC just retested what he calls the “Crash Line,” historically followed by sharp gains averaging 3,495%.

Another user, Crypto Faibik, claimed Bitcoin is nearing a falling wedge breakout. He argued that a successful breakout could push BTC back toward its all-time high of $109,000.

However, despite such optimism, short-term risks remain high. Institutional selling pressure, volatile macro conditions, and retail withdrawal could stall any bullish reversal.