A remarkable divergence is playing out in cryptocurrency markets as 2025 draws to a close. While Bitcoin and Ethereum—the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap—are seeing massive outflows from their exchange-traded funds, newer entrants XRP and Solana are experiencing their most significant weekly inflows since launch.

The numbers tell a stark story: Bitcoin investment products shed $443 million last week, while Ethereum products lost $59.5 million. Meanwhile, XRP ETFs, which only launched in November 2025, have already accumulated approximately $1 billion in assets—a pace that exceeded early Ethereum ETF adoption.

Bitcoin's Year-End Exodus

After a year that saw Bitcoin ETFs attract tens of billions in assets, the final weeks of 2025 have brought a notable reversal. The outflows appear driven by several factors:

  • Year-end tax-loss harvesting: Investors selling positions to realize losses for tax purposes
  • Profit-taking: After significant gains, some holders are locking in returns
  • Portfolio rebalancing: Institutional investors adjusting allocations for the new year
  • Rotation to alternatives: Money flowing to what some see as higher-potential altcoins

Bitcoin itself is struggling to maintain the $90,000 level, trading around $89,000 as selling pressure persists. The flagship cryptocurrency remains well below its recent highs, and the ETF outflows suggest institutional sentiment has cooled at least temporarily.

Ethereum's Ongoing Challenges

Ethereum's situation is arguably more concerning. The second-largest cryptocurrency is down roughly 35% from its 2025 peak, and ETF outflows suggest investors aren't convinced a recovery is imminent.

However, ETH has managed to claw back above the psychologically important $3,000 level—what technical analysts describe as a "constructive technical development." The network also has significant upgrades on the horizon, with the 'Hegota' upgrade slated for late 2026 following 'Glamsterdam' in the first half of next year.

XRP's Remarkable Run

The XRP story is perhaps the most interesting development in the ETF landscape. U.S. spot XRP ETFs launched in November 2025 and have attracted roughly $1 billion in assets within their first month—demonstrating robust investor appetite for regulated exposure to the payments-focused cryptocurrency.

This rapid accumulation exceeded the early adoption pace of Ethereum ETFs when they launched, surprising many market observers who expected XRP to remain a niche asset following its years-long legal battle with the SEC.

On the price front, XRP has been trading in a tight range between $1.86 and $1.90. Technical analysts note the cryptocurrency remains constrained by a descending trendline since peaking near $3.49 in mid-2025, suggesting the path higher faces resistance.

"XRP's bigger picture remains bearish. Any upward move would be a lower high formation as the descending wedge is in control."

— Technical analysis from crypto market observers

Solana: The Quiet Winner

Solana has been another beneficiary of the rotation away from Bitcoin and Ethereum. The high-performance blockchain has seen steady ETF inflows even as larger competitors hemorrhage assets. The network's speed and lower transaction costs have made it increasingly attractive for certain use cases, particularly in the NFT and DeFi spaces.

What AI Price Models Are Predicting

Various artificial intelligence models have weighed in on year-end cryptocurrency prices:

  • Bitcoin: ChatGPT projects $92,000 by December 31; Claude forecasts approximately $90,000
  • Ethereum: ChatGPT sees $3,200; Claude predicts $3,100
  • XRP: ChatGPT targets $2.02; Claude estimates $1.95

While AI predictions should be taken with appropriate skepticism, the models suggest relatively muted expectations for the final days of trading.

The Bigger Picture: Market Maturation

The ETF divergence reflects the ongoing maturation of cryptocurrency markets. No longer do all digital assets move in lockstep with Bitcoin. Instead, investors are making differentiated bets based on:

  • Fundamental use cases and adoption metrics
  • Technical upgrade roadmaps
  • Regulatory clarity (or lack thereof)
  • Valuation relative to perceived potential

This diversification of flows suggests the crypto market is evolving beyond the simplistic "Bitcoin goes up, everything goes up" dynamic that characterized earlier cycles.

What It Means for Crypto Investors

For investors navigating this landscape, several takeaways emerge:

  • Diversification matters: The divergence in ETF flows shows that different cryptocurrencies can perform very differently over the same period
  • Watch the flows: ETF inflows and outflows provide valuable signals about institutional sentiment
  • Timing remains difficult: The rotation from Bitcoin to altcoins could reverse quickly, as crypto markets remain highly volatile
  • Tax efficiency: The year-end selling pressure demonstrates how tax considerations affect crypto just like traditional assets

As 2025 closes, the cryptocurrency market stands at an interesting juncture. The ETF infrastructure that didn't exist a year ago now provides clear windows into institutional behavior—and what we're seeing is a market in transition, with capital rotating in ways that would have been difficult to predict even months ago.