Crypto ETFs Extend Outflows as US Sanctions Iran Exchange, Market Sentiment Turns Defensive

U.S.-listed spot crypto ETFs extended their streak of net outflows on Monday as risk appetite weakened across markets, while Washington escalated pressure on Iran's digital-asset infrastructure by sanctioning the country's largest crypto exchange, Nobitex. The combination of persistent fund redemptions, hawkish macro signals, and heightened geopolitical tensions has pushed derivatives positioning into a more defensive stance and drove the Bitcoin (BTC) ‘fear and greed' gauge into ‘extreme fear.