Bitcoin’s march toward the highly anticipated $100,000 milestone has slowed, raising concerns among bullish investors. While institutional buying pressure remains robust, particularly from entities like MicroStrategy, broader crypto market dynamics show a diversification of capital flows from both institutional and retail participants, according to Chris Newhouse, director of research at Cumberland Labs, as quoted on Bloomberg.

Government Bitcoin Movements Spark Market Jitters

On Monday, the market faced additional uncertainty following a report from blockchain analysis firm Arkham. The firm revealed that approximately $2 billion worth of Bitcoin seized from the Silk Road case had been transferred from U.S. government wallets to Coinbase COIN. Speculation that these assets might soon enter the market led to concerns about potential price drops.

Rising Interest in Other Digital Assets

As Bitcoin's price growth slows, attention is shifting to other cryptocurrencies. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, and XRP are gaining traction, especially as Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) post record inflows. In November, Bitcoin and Ether ETFs recorded monthly net inflows of $6.5 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively.

“After six weeks of positive inflows, we’ve seen a week of sales,” said Fadi Aboualfa, head of research at Copper Technologies Ltd., adding that ETF demand is being used as a macro gauge for market direction. Early Bitcoin ETF investors, many of whom have doubled their initial investments, may now be rebalancing portfolios.

Options Market Sees Downside Protection

The crypto options market has seen increased interest in downside protection for Bitcoin, particularly for contracts with later expiries this month. Bitcoin futures have exhibited moderate leverage, staying relatively muted following Bitcoin’s peak at $99,000, according to Coinglass data.

Ether More Volatile Than Bitcoin

The open interest in both Bitcoin options and futures remains subdued after recent liquidations during Bitcoin’s rally. Although spotlight has suddenly shifted toward on Ethereum, this cryptocurrency is more volatile than bitcoin. Jake Ostrovskis, a trader at Wintermute OTC, highlighted that Bitcoin’s volatility has compressed into the 64th percentile, while Ether’s volatility remains higher at the 81st percentile.

Ether ETFs in Focus

Against this backdrop, below we highlight a few ether-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are on a high momentum. Grayscale Ethereum Trust ETF ETHE, iShares Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHA) and Grayscale Ethereum Mini Trust ETF (ETH) – all have returned more than 8% past week. Leveraged ether ETF 2x Ether ETF (ETHU) have jumped 16.9% past week. Investors can keep a close tab on these ETFs as long as the trend is in favor of ether ETFs.