ETH drops 0.73% in 15 minutes: institutional fund outflows combined with whale selling trigger short-term correction

On May 26, 2026, from 17:15 to 17:30 UTC, ETH/USDT declined by 0.73% within 15 minutes, with the price dropping from $2,080.13 USDT to $2,064.45 USDT, a volatility of 0.75%. The short-term correction trend is evident, with a decline of 13.03% over the past 30 days, and market sentiment remains weak.

The main driver of this movement is continuous outflow of institutional funds. During May 2026, ETH ETFs experienced four consecutive trading days of outflows totaling $184 million, reflecting a lack of confidence among institutional investors. Meanwhile, whale behavior has become more polarized, with some high-leverage whales transferring large amounts of ETH to exchange addresses, signaling cash-out intentions and increasing short-term selling pressure.

Additionally, as the price approached the key technical support zone of $2,050–$2,100, programmed sell orders and panic selling were triggered. Derivative market volatility transmitted to the spot market, amplifying the decline in a low-liquidity environment. Furthermore, macroeconomic uncertainties following the release of US CPI data and the correlated movement of Bitcoin further intensified the correction pressure.

Current volatility risks remain, and attention should be paid to whether the $2,050 support level can hold, as well as on-chain whale fund flows and ETF sentiment changes. Short-term trading strategies should strictly set stop-losses and remain alert to further downside risks.