Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP struggle to build momentum despite returning ETF inflows
- Bitcoin corrects and holds around the $63,000 short-term support as inflows into spot ETFs fail to lift the outlook.
- Ethereum slides after rejection at the 50-day EMA amid a weak technical outlook and mild yet steady ETF inflows.
- XRP remains confined between support at $1.10 and resistance at $1.18, as softening retail demand weighs.
The cryptocurrency market continues to struggle with dominant headwinds, with Bitcoin (BTC) hovering around the short-term $63,000 support, Ethereum (ETH) holding below $1,800 and Ripple (XRP) testing the demand area at $1.13.
Although the crypto Fear & Greed Index edged up to 27 on Tuesday from 24 the day before, sentiment remains firmly entrenched in Fear territory.
Persistent headwinds in the spot market, driven by the absence of major catalysts and ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, continue to constrain momentum.
Bitcoin, Ethereum attract capital inflows as XRP lags
Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are experiencing a steady return in inflows totaling $266 million on Monday and $222 million on Friday. The return of inflows broke an extended period of outflows, tracking back to June 16. Meanwhile, cumulative inflows stand at $51 billion, with net assets under management averaging $77 billion. If sustained, the inflows could boost Bitcoin’s recovery outlook.
The bullish outlook extends to Ethereum, as spot ETF outflows logged their third consecutive day of inflows, including roughly $15 million on Thursday, $29 million on Friday and approximately $21 million on Monday. Cumulative inflows hold steady at $11 billion, while net assets under management stand at near $10 billion.
As for XRP, investor interest remains on the back foot, given the spot ETFs failed to register any flows on Monday. SoSoValue data shows an outlier of nearly $7 million in inflows on Friday. Meanwhile, cumulative inflows remain steady at $1.49 billion, while net assets under management average $1 billion.
Retail participation in the XRP derivatives market continues to weaken, as evidenced by a steady decline in perpetual futures Open Interest (OI). CoinGlass data shows OI slipped to $2.38 billion on Tuesday, extending a downtrend from $2.39 billion on Monday and $2.58 billion on Sunday.
From a broader perspective, current OI levels remain a fraction of the July 22 peak at $10.94 billion. Unless retail demand rebounds, a meaningful near-term recovery appears unlikely amid persistent investor fatigue.
Price analysis: Bitcoin stays under pressure
Bitcoin trades above $63,000, keeping a bearish near-term bias as price remains below the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at $65,681, $69,349 and $75,460 respectively. The Parabolic SAR around $58,976 offers the nearest technical floor.
Meanwhile, momentum is mixed, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering just below the neutral 50 mark on the daily chart and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) histogram holding in positive territory but not yet signaling a strong bullish acceleration.
On the topside, immediate resistance lies at the 50-day EMA at $65,681, followed by the 100-day EMA at $69,349 and then the more strategic 200-day EMA near $75,460, which collectively cap the broader recovery attempts. On the downside, initial support is highlighted by the Parabolic SAR level at $58,976, where buyers could attempt to slow any deeper pullback before the pair re-evaluates the current bearish structure.
Altcoins technical outlook: Ethereum and XRP decline amid mounting downside risks
Ethereum holds below a dense layer of moving average resistance and thus retaining a capped, mildly bearish near‑term tone. The spot price remains under the 50‑day EMA at $1,806, with the 100‑day EMA at $1,969 and the 200‑day EMA at $2,252 stacked higher, reinforcing the broader downside bias under the prevailing downward resistance trendline.
Momentum is constructive, with the MACD above zero and the RSI near 55 on the daily chart, which hints at recovery potential but does not yet negate the overhead technical barriers.
Initial resistance emerges at the 50‑day EMA around $1,806, followed by the 100‑day EMA at $1,969 and then the 200‑day EMA near $2,252, where the longer‑term downtrend line also weighs, forming a broader supply zone. On the flip side, the latest Parabolic SAR reading at $1,592 offers the next notable support level. A break toward that area would signal fading bullish momentum, while a sustained move above $1,806 would be the first step toward easing the current bearish cap.
XRP, on the other hand, trades at $1.13, keeping a bearish near-term bias as price holds within a downward parallel channel and below the 50-day, the 100-day and the 200-day EMAs at $1.18, $1.28 and $1.50 respectively.
The pair also hovers closer to the lower half of the channel, with the Parabolic SAR offering support at $1.02 while the RSI eases back from the mid-50s on the daily chart, hinting at waning bullish momentum after the recent bounce.
Initial resistance lies at the channel top near $1.17, followed by the 50-day EMA at $1.18, with the 100-day EMA at $1.28 and the 200-day EMA at $1.50 reinforcing a broader cap on recovery attempts. Looking down, immediate support emerges at the Parabolic SAR level around $1.02, ahead of the structural floor at the channel bottom near $0.83, where a break would likely extend the prevailing downtrend within the current daily structure.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Crypto ETF FAQs
An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment vehicle or an index that tracks the price of an underlying asset. ETFs can not only track a single asset, but a group of assets and sectors. For example, a Bitcoin ETF tracks Bitcoin’s price. ETF is a tool used by investors to gain exposure to a certain asset.
Yes. The first Bitcoin futures ETF in the US was approved by the US Securities & Exchange Commission in October 2021. A total of seven Bitcoin futures ETFs have been approved, with more than 20 still waiting for the regulator’s permission. The SEC says that the cryptocurrency industry is new and subject to manipulation, which is why it has been delaying crypto-related futures ETFs for the last few years.
Yes. The SEC approved in January 2024 the listing and trading of several Bitcoin spot Exchange-Traded Funds, opening the door to institutional capital and mainstream investors to trade the main crypto currency. The decision was hailed by the industry as a game changer.
The main advantage of crypto ETFs is the possibility of gaining exposure to a cryptocurrency without ownership, reducing the risk and cost of holding the asset. Other pros are a lower learning curve and higher security for investors since ETFs take charge of securing the underlying asset holdings. As for the main drawbacks, the main one is that as an investor you can’t have direct ownership of the asset, or, as they say in crypto, “not your keys, not your coins.” Other disadvantages are higher costs associated with holding crypto since ETFs charge fees for active management. Finally, even though investing in ETFs reduces the risk of holding an asset, price swings in the underlying cryptocurrency are likely to be reflected in the investment vehicle too.
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