US crypto markets opened the week under pressure. Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw capital leave the market just as Federal Reserve officials reinforced a restrictive policy stance. At the same time, one of Wall Street's best-known brokers took a clear step toward bringing on-chain yield to mainstream investors.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Record $65.4 Million in Net Outflows
On Monday, October 12, spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds posted net outflows of $65.4 million. The entire amount came from BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust, the largest product in the category. Spot Ether ETFs also lost assets, with net outflows of roughly $85 million for the day.
The flows arrived alongside hawkish remarks from Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, who supported keeping policy restrictive. Higher-for-longer rate expectations tend to reduce appetite for risk assets, and crypto is often among the first to react.
Bitcoin Dips Below $81,000 Before Recovering
Bitcoin opened the week near $83,300 and drifted lower through the US session, printing a brief low just under $81,000. Buyers stepped in afterward, and the price moved back into the low-to-mid $80,000 range by Tuesday morning. The broader market followed the same pattern, with total crypto market capitalization slipping about 2% to roughly $2.85 trillion. Pressure from declining technology stocks and a strong Treasury yield backdrop added to the cautious mood.
Interactive Brokers Launches Ethereum Staking
On October 13, Interactive Brokers announced Ethereum staking for eligible clients of Interactive Brokers LLC. The service is powered by crypto infrastructure provider Zerohash and is managed through a dedicated Staking Dashboard in the Client Portal, where users can submit stake and unstake requests and track pending activity.
There is no 32 ETH minimum, so clients can stake smaller positions. Combined fees are capped at 30% of rewards, which means clients keep at least 70%. Rewards are added automatically to the staked balance, but they depend on network conditions and are not guaranteed. Withdrawals remain subject to network waiting periods. Staked ETH is held in a separate Zerohash account, so clients rely on Zerohash for the core staking operations.
What It Means for US Investors
The two stories show different sides of the same market. Short-term price action still responds quickly to ETF flows and Fed rhetoric, which keeps volatility elevated. Yet the infrastructure around crypto keeps maturing: a major US broker now offers staking inside a regulated brokerage environment. Traders will be watching upcoming US inflation data and further Fed commentary, while the staking launch may be an early signal of wider adoption of yield products among traditional investors.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
