Eric Balchunas, a Bloomberg ETF analyst, reports that spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds have seen over $19.3 billion in net inflows this year.
He noted that this figure is unexpectedly strong and serves as a crucial indicator of success, especially in light of Grayscale’s GBTC unlock and the net price movements.
And after dust settled on the downturn in btc last 2wks (altho it came back a bit) the YTD net total flows are at an ATH of +$19b which is surprisingly strong all things considered (again this number is most imp metric to measure success IMO bc net price moves and GBTC unlock). pic.twitter.com/AuJ189ttVw
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) August 12, 2024
Balchunas also highlighted that US ETFs are on track to become the largest holders of BTC, surpassing even Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator.
Didn’t realize US ETFs are on track to pass Satoshi in bitcoin held in October. BlackRock alone is already #3 and on pace to be #1 late next year, and will likely stay there for a very long time Ht @EdmondsonShaun pic.twitter.com/QGsO00zrxp
— Eric Balchunas (@EricBalchunas) August 12, 2024
BlackRock, for instance, has already become the third-largest holder and is expected to take the top spot by late next year, a position it is likely to maintain for a long time.
He further explained that ETF holders provide Bitcoin with a level of stability amid market volatility. For example, IBIT investors remained unfazed by a 14% drop over the weekend following an 8% decline the previous week, showing no significant outflows.
This behavior contrasts with more volatile traders and suggests that these investors offer a stabilizing presence in the market.
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Metaplanet is aggressively expanding its Bitcoin holdings through an unconventional $5.4 billion capital raise, positioning itself as a leading BTC proxy in Asia.
BlueBird Mining Ventures, a London-listed firm traditionally focused on gold, is making headlines after announcing it will liquidate its gold reserves and begin accumulating Bitcoin as a treasury asset.
Bitcoin tumbled sharply today, shedding more than 3.5% in a matter of hours and briefly flirting with the critical $100,000 level.