Ethereum ETFs see record inflows as House pushes crypto bills, but investor confidence continues to waver.
The cryptocurrency markets were mixed on Thursday, July 17, with most large-cap assets seeing modest gains or trading flat following’s yesterday’s rally, as President Donald Trump’s new tariff threats and “Crypto Week” confusion unsettled investors.
Bitcoin (BTC) held steady on Thursday at $119,600 – a 5% increase over the past week. Ethereum (ETH) is up 2.7% over the past 24 hours to trade around $3,430, extending its weekly gain to over 21%. This marks ETH’s highest price since around mid-January.
XRP was the top-gainer among the largest crypto assets today, up by 9% to $3.35 — up over 34% in the past seven days.
Solana (SOL) traded flat at $174, up around 9% over the past week. Total crypto market capitalization is down 2.3% in the past 24 hours, hovering around approximately $3.9 trillion, according to CoinGecko. Trading volume over the same period reached $237 billion.
Liquidations and ETFs — ETH ETFs See Record Inflows
Over the past 24 hours, more than $478 million in crypto positions were liquidated, according to CoinGlass data. Short positions made up $237 million, while long positions accounted for $241 million. Ethereum led liquidations with $168 million, followed by Bitcoin at $62 million.
On the ETF front, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded over $799 million in inflows on July 16, according to SoSoValue. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs attracted $726.74 million inflows – their highest single-day inflows to date.
The record inflows were led by BlackRock’s iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA), which pulled in $499 million alone. The surge in demand reflects growing investor confidence, as ETH pushed past $3,000 for the first time since February less than a week ago.
Crypto Week Confusion and Trump’s Tariffs
Thursday’s crypto market reflects broader mixed signals: strong ETF inflows suggest rising interest, but Trump’s new tariff threats and political drama around “Crypto Week” are shaking investor confidence.
After several days of delays, House Republicans on Thursday finally got back on track to make a final vote on three crypto-related bills, which had been stalled by disagreements. The House is now expected to vote on the GENIUS Act, the Clarity Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act this afternoon. If passed, they would go to President Trump’s desk next for signature.
“Crypto Week underscores the urgency for the U.S. to act decisively,” Manthan Davé, co-founder of Palisade, said in a statement shared with The Defiant. “If the Act merely establishes a siloed U.S. stablecoin ecosystem, even with strong backing requirements, it risks stifling the burgeoning on-chain finance sector.”
Davé warned that global businesses “won’t wait for Washington to figure it out, they’ll go where the rules are clear, enforceable, and consistent.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s latest tariff threats added to market jitters, as he announced plans to send letters to more than 150 countries notifying them of potential new tariffs. He told reporters on Wednesday at the White House that the rates could be 10% or 15%, but “we haven’t decided yet.”
