10x Research: Bitcoin's Decline is Not Driven by Strategy, but by Inflation and ETF Outflows

Odaily Planet Daily reported that Markus Thielen, founder of 10x Research, stated that the core driver behind Bitcoin's drop below $60,000 is not the market's feared Strategy sell-off, but sustained ETF outflows triggered by rising US inflation. Data shows that since US inflation data exceeded expectations in April, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated net redemptions of approximately $5.4 billion. Over the same period, MicroStrategy actually increased its BTC holdings by around $2 billion, becoming one of the few net buyers.

Markus Thielen noted: "The market has misjudged this decline. Strategy is not the issue; the real driver is institutional ETF selling." The market's current focus should shift to the CPI data to be released this Wednesday. If inflation comes in higher than expected, it could reinforce the "higher for longer" interest rate expectation, continuing to pressure risk assets. His model predicts US inflation could rise to 4.3%, higher than the market consensus.

10x Research emphasized that market liquidity remains weak: stablecoins saw a net outflow of approximately $5.5 billion last month, and futures open interest has declined, indicating that capital is withdrawing from the crypto market. ETF flows remain the core variable for Bitcoin's price. "Follow the flows, not the narrative." (CoinDesk)