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BlackRock has kicked off 2026 with the sustained sales of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). The asset investment firm deposited 1,134 BTC worth $101.4 million and 7,255 ETH valued at $22.1 million on the Binance exchange, as per a Lookonchain update.
BlackRock's Bitcoin and Ethereum deposits spark bearish concerns
This on-chain transaction has renewed bearish concerns in the cryptocurrency sector. Notably, short-term traders see it as a cautionary sign to investing in these two assets, as it could trigger selling pressure not just on Binance but on other exchanges as well.
However, long-term investors might still exercise some restraint and hold on to the assets to observe price direction before drawing any conclusion. How the market reacts to BlackRock’s dumping of its assets will signal its next line of action.
BlackRock’s first sales of the year align with the consistent sell-off of its assets since November. The asset manager suffered its worst monthly close in the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) market in 2025 with over $2.1 billion in outflows.
The development caught the attention of the broader market as the giant usually led in inflows. So, to lose about 3% of its total assets within four weeks raised genuine concerns about the future outlook of the Bitcoin ETF.
As U.Today reported, BlackRock has not slowed down in its massive sales of both Bitcoin and Ethereum. It closed in 2025 with the transfer of 2,201 BTC and 7,557 ETH, worth $214,000,000 in total, to the Coinbase exchange.
Despite causing market-wide speculations as to the motive of these consistent deposits on different exchanges, BlackRock has been silent. There is no official explanation from the investment giant, leaving market participants to draw conclusions of a possible sustained bear market.
Bitcoin and Ethereum prices react amid conflicting signals
Despite the sell-off from BlackRock, Bitcoin has gained over $2,000 from its opening amount of $87,710.06. As of this writing, Bitcoin is changing hands at $89,412.80, which represents a 1.78% increase in the last 24 hours.
The slight increase came as whales reduced deposits to exchanges, a move that signaled reduced sell pressure. With BlackRock’s resumed sales, market watchers are keen on how this reflects on general sentiments.
Similarly, Ethereum finally breached the $3,000 resistance level as the coin jumped from a low of $2,973.97 to a peak at $3,064.71. Ethereum changed hands at $3,048.61, a 2.25% increase, as of press time.
Unlike Bitcoin with low trading volume, Ethereum’s volume is up by 7.12% at $14.98 billion.
Dan Burgin
Godfrey Benjamin
Tomiwabold Olajide
Arman Shirinyan