ARKB and FBTC Lead Outflows from U.S. Spot Bitcoin ETFs Amid Regulatory Setbacks

The recent volatility in U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs has led to significant outflows, with ARK 21Shares' ARKB being the largest contributor to the decline. On September 9, ARKB recorded $77.98 million in net redemptions, accounting for roughly 65% of the day's total outflows. This was followed by another large exit on Tuesday, September 15, where Fidelity's FBTC led with $214.8 million in redemptions.

The failure of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act to pass the Senate has removed a key policy catalyst for U.S. crypto markets in 2026. This legislative setback coincided with a decline in Bitcoin prices, which fell below $78,000 after hitting a high of $79,760 just hours earlier.

Despite the recent pullback, the trailing seven days still show roughly $820 million of net inflows into the funds. However, the month-to-date across six reported sessions sits at roughly $603 million of net inflows, indicating that the two-session pullback erased less than a quarter of a single day's creations.

BITB and ARKB have different performance metrics, with BITB maintaining an average daily trading volume of $57 million. BITB surpassed $1 billion in assets under management less than five weeks after its launch, while ARKB produced $77.98 million of redemptions on September 9.