Eth Nears $3k After Cool Cpi Print But $553m Ether Etf Outflow...

ETH rebounded toward $3,000 as stocks reacted positively to a cooler-than-anticipated CPI print, but this week’s $553 million spot ETHER ETF outflow could keep a cap on prices.

US-listed Ether ETFs saw heavy outflows, signaling fading institutional interest as network fees, staking and leverage demand declined.

ETH futures premiums and open interest declined, indicating cautious positioning and limited confidence, without a clear shift to outright bearishness.

Ether (ETH) plunged to $2,800 on Wednesday, triggering $165 million in liquidations across bullish futures positions. The 13% weekly decline in the ETH price was accompanied by strong outflows from Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as risk aversion intensified amid concerns about the artificial intelligence sector.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq index fell 1.8% on Wednesday, reinforcing fears among Ether investors that further downside could follow.

Oracle (ORCL US) shares dropped 5.5% on Wednesday after private lender Blue Owl Capital (OWL US) reportedly withdrew support for a planned $10 billion data center partnership. Investor sentiment weakened after reports that Blue Owl Capital had previously participated in Oracle facilities in Texas and New Mexico. The rising cost of Oracle’s debt protection has sparked a broader risk-off movement.

Markets are now focusing on Thursday’s release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, a pivotal event for risk assets. November’s weaker-than-anticipated 2.7% CPI growth allowed Ether price to reclaim the $2,950 level. Traders suggest this cooling inflation could prompt the Federal Reserve to introduce additional economic stimulus, especially as recent figures indicate growing stress within the labor market.

Ether has underperformed the broader cryptocurrency market by 6% over the past week, with part of the bearish sentiment tied to demand for Ether ETFs.

US-listed Ethereum ETFs recorded $533 million in net outflows since Thursday, reversing the inflow trend seen over the prior two days. These instruments currently hold $17.5 billion worth of ETH and are typically associated with institutional investor demand. More concerning, however, is that demand for leveraged positions in ETH futures declined by 13% over the past week.

Aggregate open interest in ETH futures fell to $28.1 billion across major exchanges, down from a peak of $32.4 billion on Dec. 10. While a drop in leveraged positioning does not automatically signal bearish sentiment, it does put bu

Source: CoinTelegraph