US Bitcoin ETFs Smash $50B Barrier – Institutional Adoption Goes Mainstream

Wall Street's crypto love affair hits new heights as Bitcoin ETF assets balloon to $50 billion—proving even traditional finance can't ignore digital gold.

How the sausage gets made: BlackRock, Fidelity, and friends now hold more BTC than MicroStrategy. Guess the 'risky asset' narrative didn't age well.

Bonus cynicism: Watch legacy banks suddenly discover 'blockchain innovation' now that there's a regulated product to skim fees from.

In brief

• U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have surpassed $50 billion in total inflows just 18 months after launch.
• BlackRock and Fidelity dominate the market, while Grayscale saw major outflows.
• Corporations worldwide are adding Bitcoin to their treasuries as BTC hits new all-time highs.

BlackRock and Fidelity lead the inflows

Just 18 months after launch, US spot bitcoin ETFs have collectively attracted over $50 billion in net new capital. While BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) alone has seen $53 billion in gross inflows, the industry total is offset by $23.34 billion in outflows from Grayscale’s GBTC. This brings the net inflow across all ETFs to just above $50 billion.

Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) ranks second with $12.29 billion in inflows. Despite GBTC’s drag, the continued growth signals strong demand from both institutional and retail investors.

Bitcoin dominates digital asset inflows

According to CoinShares, Bitcoin remains the king of digital asset products, making up 83% of all inflows this year. ethereum trails at 16%. IBIT’s dominance is particularly striking, it now holds over 700,000 BTC, or more than 55% of all BTC held across US spot ETFs.

In fact, IBIT is now more profitable for BlackRock than its flagship iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, a serious shift in fund economics that highlights how crypto has gone mainstream in asset management.

Corporate Bitcoin treasuries keep growing

Corporate treasuries are ramping up Bitcoin accumulation too. This week, Japan’s Metaplanet bought $237 million worth of BTC, becoming the fifth-largest corporate Bitcoin holder with over 15,500 BTC.

Two European firms also made big moves: France’s Blockchain Group and the UK’s Smarter Web Company added $12.5 million and $24.3 million in BTC to their reserves. Remixpoint, another Japanese company, plans to buy 3,000 BTC after raising $215 million.

Bitcoin breaks records, ETH surges

Bitcoin hit a new all-time high of $112,000 this week, with $200 million in short liquidations. Meanwhile, Ethereum is also rising, up 6.6% in 24 hours and trading at $2,778. Analysts expect it could reach $3,000 soon if momentum holds.

Where are we going?

The $50 billion ETF milestone shows a structural shift in crypto adoption. With institutional capital flowing in and corporations embracing BTC as a treasury asset, Bitcoin’s position as a long-term store of value is strengthening. Ethereum, on the other hand, continues to benefit from broader crypto Optimism and ETF spillover effects.

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