Spot Bitcoin ETFs attract $1.42B in strongest week since early October

Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded $1.42 billion in net inflows over the past week, marking their strongest weekly performance since early October amid a renewed return of institutional demand.

According to data from SoSoValue, inflows into spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs peaked midweek, with Wednesday recording the largest single-day net inflow of roughly $844 million, followed by $754 million on Tuesday.

Despite late-week pullbacks, including a $395 million outflow on Friday, the sequence of large midweek inflows pushed the weekly total to $1.42 billion, the strongest since early October when the funds attracted $2.7 billion.

Inflows into Ether (ETH) ETFs were also front-loaded earlier in the week, with the largest single-day net inflow of roughly $290 million recorded on Tuesday, followed by about $215 million on Wednesday. The weakest session came later in the week, with net outflows of roughly $180 million on Friday, trimming weekly gains to approximately $479 million.

Related: Bitcoin ETF inflows cross $1.8B: Will BTC respond with a rally to $100K?

Investors return as Bitcoin supply tightens

Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at Kronos Research, said the pattern suggests long-only allocators are re-entering after a period of caution.

“ETF inflows point to long-only allocators re-entering via regulated channels,” Liu told Cointelegraph. “ETF absorption alongside whale stabilization implies tightening effective supply and a more risk-on market environment.”

Liu said onchain indicators show that large holders, often referred to as whales, have reduced net selling compared with late December, easing a key source of distribution pressure. When combined with steady ETF buying, the result is a market where available supply appears to be tightening, even as price volatility persists.

Whale selling pressure dropping. Source: Liu

However, he cautioned that the shift remains early-stage rather than conclusive. “This is an early phase of the shift, rather than full confirmation,” he said, adding that renewed inflows, reduced whale selling and improving market structure point to a more durable institutional bid forming beneath the market.

“Odds point to more green days, though not in a straight line,” Liu said. “ETF inflows are providing a structural bid while easing whale selling suggests dips are more likely to be absorbed,” he concluded.

Related: Different types of ETFs, explained – Cointelegraph

Short ETF inflows aren’t enough to sustain Bitcoin rallies

According to the Bitcoin macro intelligence newsletter Ecoinometrics, recent spikes in spot Bitcoin ETF inflows have tended to trigger short-lived price rebounds rather than sustained upside, with gains often fading once inflows slow.

The newsletter argues that Bitcoin needs several consecutive weeks of strong ETF demand to shift the broader trend, noting that cumulative ETF flows remain deeply negative. Isolated positive days may help stabilize prices, but without sustained inflows, they are unlikely to support a lasting uptrend.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026