Bitcoin News Today: Institutional Exodus and Whale Accumulation Mark Bitcoin's $81K Slide

Bitcoin's price slid toward $81,000 on November 21, 2025, as liquidations neared $2 billion in a 24-hour period, signaling heightened market stress amid a broader selloff in crypto assets. The drop, which erased roughly 27% of Bitcoin's value from its October peak near $126,000, triggered stop-loss orders and a cascade of risk-off selling according to CoinGlass data. CoinGlass data revealed $596 million in liquidations over the past 24 hours, with Ethereum leading at $200 million and Bitcoin accounting for $148 million. Over 163,000 traders saw positions wiped out, marking one of the heaviest liquidation days in weeks as reported by CoinGlass.

The selloff coincided with continued outflows from Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). On November 18, the U.S. Bitcoin spot ETF recorded a net outflow of $220.1 million, marking the fourth consecutive day of withdrawals according to Coinotag data. BlackRock's IBIT, the largest ETF in the space, saw $145.6 million in redemptions, while ARKB lost $29.7 million as reported by Coinotag. Cumulative redemptions for the month pushed November toward one of the weakest records for ETF activity, with institutional holders underwater for the first time since the products launched according to cryptonews.

Macroeconomic pressures compounded the downturn. Investors remain cautious as the Federal Reserve delays clarity on rate cuts, while inflation data remains stubborn. Renewed tariff threats and a cooling risk appetite across global markets further weighed on crypto sentiment according to cryptonews. President Trump's recent comments on reshoring American manufacturing added to volatility, as traders positioned for potential shifts in fiscal policy according to cryptonews. Analysts noted that uncertainty amplified ETF redemptions from institutional desks managing large cross-asset books.

Despite the outflows, a modest $75 million inflow into Bitcoin ETFs on November 19 suggested some buyers were stepping in at lower levels according to cryptonews. BlackRock's continued dominance in ETF flows, even amid volatility, reinforced its status as the primary gateway for institutional Bitcoin exposure according to cryptonews. Meanwhile, the broader market saw mixed performance. While the SPDR S&P 500 Trust (SPY) lost $1.71 billion in a week, healthcare and technology sector ETFs recorded inflows totaling $1.01 billion according to Seeking Alpha.

Whale activity also intensified as prices fell below $90,000. Santiment reported over 102,000 whale transactions exceeding $100,000 and 29,000 transactions over $1 million, with analysts speculating that large holders are shifting from dumping to accumulating according to TradingView. Glassnode data showed a spike in whale wallets holding more than 1,000 Bitcoin since late October, suggesting strategic buying during the downturn according to TradingView.

The market's technical structure weakened further as Bitcoin fell below $85,500, with FlowDesk noting sustained sell pressure from old wallets and Deribit data showing downside positioning dominating according to CoinDesk. Traders are now pricing in a hawkish Fed repricing, adding to near-term bearish sentiment according to CoinDesk.