Bitcoin ETFs Rake in $667M as CME Traders Bet Big on Crypto Comeback

Wall Street’s bitcoin cash grab hits overdrive—ETF inflows surge while CME derivatives volume screams ’FOMO.’

Signals flashing green: Institutional players are quietly rebuilding positions after Q1’s brutal sell-off. The smart money’s moving before retail notices.

Reality check: Remember when Goldman called crypto ’a fraud’? Now they’re clearing 8-figure ETF trades. Some principles have expiration dates.

“Yields are back at levels that attract institutional money,” noted analyst James Van Straten, calling it a clear pivot from the uncertainty seen just a month ago.

CME Bitcoin futures volume echoed that sentiment, climbing to $8.4 billion—the highest since late April. Open interest ROSE sharply as well, climbing over 30,000 contracts since last month’s lows to reach 158,000 BTC, according to Velo.

Though both metrics still lag behind January’s highs—when Bitcoin broke its previous record at $109,000—the recent momentum signals renewed appetite from traders who had previously exited. For instance, filings show that the Wisconsin State Retirement Board offloaded its Bitcoin ETF positions earlier this year, likely due to unattractive arbitrage spreads at the time.

Now, with those spreads widening again, analysts say the stage is set for more institutional players to re-enter the market in Q2, chasing yield in a reinvigorated arbitrage landscape.