After a very sluggish end to 2025, Bitcoin (BTC) seems to have reignited institutional investors’ interest. ETFs are indeed seeing significant inflows this week. Is this a fundamental trend or just a fleeting resurgence of interest?
Bitcoin ETFs Back in Favor with Investors
Bitcoin ETFs had already shown signs of a recovery last week, and the trend continues this week. According to data shared by SoSoValue, Wednesday’s daily inflow was the highest since last October, when BTC hit an all-time high. A net inflow of $843 million was recorded over the course of the day.
Over the course of three days, BTC ETFs saw an inflow of $1.7 billion. This reverses the trend of recent months, according to data aggregated by The Block:
The price of Bitcoin (BTC) has rebounded: it has risen 10% over the past two weeks and is trading this morning around $96,300. However, the cryptocurrency remains far from its all-time high set three months ago. As a reminder, on October 6, it surpassed $126,000 for the first time in its history.
The trend is the same for Ethereum. Spot ETH ETFs are also recording their third consecutive day of inflows, with a total of $175 million in inflows yesterday. Spot SOL and spot XRP ETFs have also seen widespread inflows since the start of the week.
Outlook for Bitcoin
Spot crypto ETFs are benefiting from a “start-of-the-year” effect. Following a period of tax-loss harvesting and risk reduction at the end of 2025, appetite has returned for the first weeks of 2026. Furthermore, Wall Street’s strong performance in recent weeks indicates that investors are more willing to tolerate risk.
That said, while BTC’s recovery to the $96,000 level is notable, it does not necessarily signal a prolonged bullish trend. Most analysts expect a period of consolidation following the market’s overheating in 2025.
Furthermore, the unprecedented performance of precious metals (gold, silver) leaves no room at this stage for a reallocation toward BTC, according to the analyst:
It is inconceivable that the price of Bitcoin will resume a fundamental uptrend as long as gold and silver continue their vertical upward movement in the commodities market. […] Until the BTC/XAU and BTC/XAG ratios confirm a clear bullish reversal, any Bitcoin recovery will remain fragile and subject to high volatility.
In other words, at this stage, we cannot speak of a return to a prolonged uptrend. The coming weeks will determine whether this renewed interest marks the beginning of a more structural trend, or whether it is merely a technical rebound.
