Bitcoin ETFs Ignite Frenzy as Institutional Floodgates Swing Open
Wall Street’s latest gold rush is here—and this time, it’s digital. Bitcoin ETFs just smashed records with $12.8B inflows in Q1 2025, proving even hedge fund dinosaurs finally figured out how to buy crypto without calling their tech-savvy grandkids.
The domino effect? BTC price action defying gravity at $85K while traditional finance scrambles to rebrand ’reckless speculation’ as ’strategic asset allocation.’
Meanwhile in TradFi boardrooms: ’Wait, we’re supposed to HODL now?’
$94,618 ETFs continues to rise, demonstrating strong investor interest. According to SoSoValue, Bitcoin ETFs attracted a net inflow of $1.81 billion from April 26 to May 2, marking the third consecutive positive week. As a result, total cumulative inflows hit $40.24 billion, the highest level since February 11. During this period, the weekly trading volume for 12 ETFs remained at $13.23 billion.
ContentsPositive Streak Persists in Bitcoin ETFsGrowing Institutional Interest
Positive Streak Persists in Bitcoin ETFs
Last week’s $1.81 billion influx towards Bitcoin ETFs follows the robust $3.06 billion the previous week, indicating continuing upward momentum. Despite a drop in weekly trading volume, the sustained net inflow shows investors are capitalizing on price dips.
The surpassing of the $40 billion cumulative figure signals a retest of the peak seen in mid-February, showcasing the ETF market’s maturity and continued liquidity absorption.
BlackRock’s IBIT fund emerged as the clear market leader, significantly bolstering the overall landscape. On May 2 alone, the fund attracted an inflow of $674.91 million, bringing its total fund inflow since inception to $43.48 billion.
The decline in the total weekly volume of ETFs suggests that investors are more cautious in the short term, yet they are not reducing their long positions.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading around $94,606.
Growing Institutional Interest
Prestigious universities, including Brown University, are joining institutional actors outside the U.S. in the race to gain a piece of the market. According to its filing with the SEC, Brown University holds approximately $5 million in shares of BlackRock’s IBIT fund. Academic institutions diversifying portfolios with spot Bitcoin ETFs are moving the most prominent cryptocurrency‘s “alternative” status into the institutional mainstream.
Meanwhile, other investment products are witnessing activity as well. Spot Ethereum
$1,829 ETFs experienced a $106.75 million inflow, marking their second consecutive positive week. Although the figures are far from those of Bitcoin, diminished regulatory uncertainties regarding Ethereum are provoking fund managers’ appetite. Market participants view the recent pullback in Ethereum prices as a “discount buying opportunity.”
