After a very sluggish end to 2025, Bitcoin (BTC) appears to have reignited institutional investors’ interest. ETFs are indeed seeing significant inflows this week. Is this a fundamental trend or 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. Net inflows of $843 million were recorded over the course of the day.
Over the course of three days, BTC ETFs saw inflows 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 at 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.
For Ethereum, the trend is the same. 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 in late 2025, investor appetite has returned for the first few weeks of 2026. Furthermore, Wall Street’s strong performance in recent weeks suggests that investors are more willing to take on risk.
That said, while BTC’s return to the $96,000 level is notable, it does not necessarily signal a prolonged uptrend. 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 sustained 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.
