What’s Driving Bitcoin And Ethereum Prices – And Why Investors Should Be Watchful

The crypto market has grown increasingly cautious as Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have crashed to former lows amid growing concerns about institutional flows and network fundamentals. Bitcoin’s recent decline below $70,000 appears closely tied to shifts in the demand for its exchange-trading fund (ETF). Meanwhile, Ethereum’s price fell below $2,000 amid strong criticism over its token economics and long-term sustainability, with top market researchers shorting it as they forecast a potential collapse.  

Bitcoin Price Crashes As ETF Flows Reverse

The Bitcoin price is currently trading near $67,000, after falling more than 3% in the past 24 hours, according to CoinMarketCap data. The latest drop comes after a sudden shift in institutional demand for Spot Bitcoin ETFs, which have been a major driver for market momentum since their launch in 2024.

Data from SoSo Value shows that Spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded staggering outflows of roughly $228 million on Thursday, March 5, ending a three-day inflow streak that had brought roughly $1.1 billion into the funds earlier in the week. The reversal comes as sentiment flipped bearish despite the brief bounce above $73,000, underscoring broader market fear and uncertainty. 

Notably, ETF outflows carried over to the next day, with Friday alone seeing withdrawals of more than $348.8 million. While March 2 to 4 initially recorded total net assets of more than $94.57 billion, this figure has since declined to $87.07 billion.

Alongside outflows from Spot Bitcoin ETFs, broader market sell-offs have emerged as a key driver behind Bitcoin’s latest slump. On Friday, major holders sold BTC in large volumes. Additionally, reports reveal that top crypto exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase have been selling Bitcoin, further pressuring the leading cryptocurrency. 

As geopolitical tensions escalate and market volatility rises, Bitcoin’s next price direction remains uncertain. Consequently, analysts like Michael van de Poppe maintain a broadly bearish outlook, predicting steeper declines between $60,000 to $48,000 for BTC. 

Ethereum Price Weakens Amid Token Economics Backlash

The Ethereum price has also slipped below the key psychological $2,000 level and is now trading slightly above $1,900. This decline comes as negative sentiment surrounding the cryptocurrency and its network economic structure surges. 

A recent report from short-selling firm Culper Research warns that Ethereum may be entering “a death spiral” following its December 2025 Fusaka upgrade. According to the report, the upgrade expanded block capacity faster than actual demand, leading to blocks filled with low-value transactions and spam. The firm also criticized Ethereum’s founder, Vitalik Buterin, for selling ETH and dismissed Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee as “clueless” in the face of Ethereum’s new reality. 

Culper Research emphasized that the Fusaka upgrade weakened Ethereum’s tokenomics by reducing transaction fees and lowering validator earnings and staking yields. The firm also highlighted a surge in address-poisoning attacks, in which attackers send tiny transactions to wallets to trick users into sending funds to fraudulent addresses. They estimate that victims lost at least $87 million just three months following Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade.

In light of these bearish developments, Culper Researchers have announced that they are “short Ether.” The firm has also labeled ETH a “broken token,” predicting that holders will be left with little economic value in the future. 

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView