Skittish risk managers could turn Bitcoin’s institutional boom into a bust, CEO warns
Markus Thielen warns Bitcoin’s institutional rally could reverse as ETF outflows and market fatigue weigh on risk appetite.
The powerful wave of institutional buying that helped propel Bitcoin higher since early 2024 could also amplify a correction if market fatigue persists, according to Markus Thielen, CEO of 10x Research and a former portfolio manager.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Thielen said the crypto market, and Bitcoin (BTC) in particular, is showing all the tell-tale signs of fatigue, following a difficult October marked by the largest liquidation event in the industry’s history. Those losses, he noted, have compounded underlying macroeconomic risks that Bitcoin has increasingly mirrored.
Because institutional inflows, especially from spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), have been a key driver of the 2024 rally, Thielen warned that the same investor base could accelerate downside pressure if activity continues to slow.