On September 15, U.S. spot Bitcoin funds experienced their most significant drop in several weeks, following a fresh wave of regulatory ambiguity from Washington.
According to data from Farside Investors, the 12 U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs registered a total of $450.4 million in net outflows yesterday, completely reversing the $159.9 million inflow from the previous day.
Fidelity’s FBTC led the charge with withdrawals totaling $214.8 million, followed by BlackRock’s IBIT at $161.7 million and Grayscale’s GBTC at $44.1 million.
This marks the largest outflow for Bitcoin ETFs since June 25, when $696.29 million was withdrawn. Although this significant outflow coincided with regulatory news, it does not definitively link the two events.
Another influential factor at play was the anticipation surrounding a Federal Reserve decision, with expectations of a rate hike already exerting pressure on riskier assets and Treasury yields.
Related: CLARITY Act setback sends Coinbase, Circle stocks lower
Senate vote leaves cryptocurrency regulations in limbo
The Senate did not advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, falling short of the 60 votes needed to move forward. Only 50 senators supported the bill, with four Republican senators voting against it alongside Democrats. Senator Thom Tillis adjusted his vote as a procedural measure that keeps the possibility of reevaluation open.
This legislation aimed to establish a federal framework for digital assets and delineate the roles of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Proponents argued that such congressional action would provide crypto firms and investors with more stable regulatory guidelines.
Critics, however, called for stronger ethical standards related to elected officials’ financial ties to digital assets, among other necessary amendments. Despite ongoing discussions right before the vote, no consensus was reached.
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Redemptions extend to major Bitcoin funds
The asset outflows on Tuesday were particularly impactful as they were centered around two of the largest investment vehicles in the market. IBIT and FBTC together contributed approximately $376.5 million to the total redemptions.
Despite this downturn, the longer-term figures remain more favorable than Tuesday’s performance. Following the withdrawals on September 15, net flows for the month of September remained slightly positive at around $16.8 million.
Related: LIVE: CLARITY Act fails Senate cloture vote
This article was first published by TheStreet on September 16, 2026, under the MARKETS section. You can add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.