Bitcoin fell 2.84% to $71,819.01 on June 1, 2026, as U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs posted their longest withdrawal streak on record, keeping digital assets from joining Wall Street’s AI-driven rally despite broader stock market strength.
The 10-session outflow streak from U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs totaled $2.97 billion, the longest consecutive run of withdrawals on record. Ether declined alongside bitcoin, trading at $1,980, while the CoinDesk 20 index fell 2.38%. Global stock indexes reached fresh highs driven by AI enthusiasm, but crypto failed to participate in the rally.
Macroeconomic headwinds compounded selling pressure. Oil prices climbed 3% on Monday amid stalled efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, renewing inflation concerns that have historically weighed on risk assets including cryptocurrencies. Retail buyer interest in crypto remained weak throughout the period.
Laser Digital’s derivatives trading desk attributed the decline to structural weakness. “Sold off through last week without a clear catalyst,” the trading desk said, adding that “there seemed to have been a lack of demand, including Strategy announcing that they didn’t purchase any BTC.” Strategy, a major bitcoin holder, did not add to its position in late May, selling 32 bitcoin for $2.5 million instead.
Strategy’s lack of accumulation signaled weakening institutional appetite. The company trades below par, further dampening confidence. “With STRC still trading below par and the continued lack of interest from retail buyers, BTC is expected to remain weak for the time being,” Laser Digital’s desk said.
Institutional flows showed mixed signals. BlackRock’s IBIT, the largest spot bitcoin ETF, saw a $1.26 billion sale last week. Bitmine purchased $53 million in ether the same period, but broader outflows dominated.
DeFi Security and Market Developments
Aave announced plans to review every asset listed on its V3 protocol and rewrite listing standards following April’s $230 million rsETH exploit. The overhaul reflects growing scrutiny of yield-bearing tokens on major DeFi platforms.
A security researcher using the handle 0xflorent unlocked approximately $2 million in ether that had been trapped in a 2016 Ethereum ICO contract for nine years. The recovery highlighted forgotten liquidity in early blockchain infrastructure.
Tokenized Securities Market Growth
Citi released a report projecting the tokenized securities market will expand from $17 billion today to $5.5 trillion by 2030 under a base forecast, with a bullish scenario reaching $8.2 trillion. The projections underscore institutional appetite for blockchain-based securities infrastructure despite near-term crypto market weakness.
Altcoin Divergence
Hyperliquid’s HYPE token reached record highs against Solana’s SOL but displayed bearish divergence on daily charts, signaling potential weakness ahead despite recent price strength. Stellar (XLM) surged 14.1% over the weekend, bucking broader market weakness.
