How crypto's 2026 slide is dragging ETFs, according to GraniteShares CEO Will Rhind
Speakers
Mackenzie Sigalos — Host, ETF Edge
— CNBC crypto reporter
Will Rhind — Founder and CEO, GraniteShares
— CEO GraniteShares
Summary
- The recent crash in cryptocurrency prices is being driven by a broader "deleveraging" event triggered by weakness in AI stocks, rather than fundamental issues within the crypto ecosystem itself.
- This liquidity crunch has spilled over into other asset classes, causing significant liquidations in precious metals and gold (noted as a historic drop).
- Despite the volatility, ETF issuers are not delaying product rollouts; the industry views this as a "healthy correction."
- The next wave of ETF innovation is shifting away from "vanilla" spot products toward complex instruments involving options, leverage, and multi-asset indexes.
Trade Ideas
Rhind characterizes the current market slide as a "healthy correction" caused by external factors rather than a loss of faith in the asset class. The sell-off is a mechanical "deleveraging" event. As investors lost money on the previously high-flying AI trade, they were forced to sell liquid assets like Crypto and Gold to cover margins. This suggests the price drop is technical (liquidity-driven) rather than fundamental. Rhind points to simultaneous "big liquidations" in unrelated assets like Gold and Precious Metals as proof of systemic deleveraging. Continued volatility if the "risk-off" mentality persists or if underlying investors lose faith during the downturn.
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This CNBC video, published February 09, 2026, features Will Rhind discussing BTC. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers: Will Rhind · Tickers: BTC