Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs Post Major Inflows as Prices Jump 10% to 20%
Key Takeaways
- •US spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted $517 million in net inflows on Aug. 19, their highest daily total since May 4, with BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust leading the group at $284.74 million.
- •Spot Ethereum ETFs took in $186 million, the category's strongest combined daily inflow in nine months, led by BlackRock's ETHA at $122.12 million as Ether gained 20% to trade around $2,263.
- •Bitcoin rose above $72,000 for the first time since June 1, while leveraged liquidations across the market exceeded $3.4 billion during the same 24-hour period.
- •Glassnode described the Bitcoin rebound as a local rally rather than a broader trend, noting that perpetual futures demand turned positive but the Coinbase Premium remained negative, indicating US spot demand had not meaningfully recovered.
- •Other crypto ETFs also gained ground, with XRP ETFs recording $5.81 million in inflows and holding about 1.5% of XRP's circulating supply, Solana ETFs drawing $1.58 million, and T. Rowe Price adding Cardano as a key holding in its Active Crypto ETF.
Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw a sharp return of demand on Aug. 19, with both markets recording their strongest daily inflows in months amid a 10% to 20% price rise over the previous 24 hours. Spot crypto ETFs hold the underlying coins directly, so net inflows translate into purchases of the assets — one reason daily flow figures have become a closely watched gauge of institutional demand since US regulators began approving the products in 2024.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States recorded net inflows of $517 million, their highest daily total since May 4 and the strongest in the past three months. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the group with $284.74 million in inflows. According to data from Farside Investors, the fund added 4,167 BTC worth $284.74 million, while trading volume reached $5.4 billion.
Ark Invest’s ARKB posted the second-largest inflow at $77.71 million, followed by Fidelity’s FBTC at $62.41 million and Bitwise’s BITB at $35.60 million. Additional inflows were recorded by Grayscale’s GBTC at $21.18 million, Grayscale Bitcoin Mini at $19.66 million, Morgan Stanley’s MSBT at $9.98 million, and Franklin’s EZBC at $5.92 million.
The jump in ETF demand came alongside a strong move in Bitcoin’s price. Over the past 24 hours, Bitcoin rose above $72,000 for the first time since June 1. During the same period, leveraged liquidations exceeded $3.4 billion — derivatives positions force-closed by exchanges when sharp price moves erode the collateral backing them.
Blockchain analytics firm Glassnode said perpetual futures demand had turned positive and that Bitcoin ETF flows were stabilizing. Perpetuals are crypto’s most heavily traded derivative contracts and carry no expiry date. At the same time, it noted that the Coinbase Premium remained negative, suggesting that U.S. spot demand had not yet recovered meaningfully. The Coinbase Premium measures the gap between Bitcoin’s price on the US exchange and global venue averages, and is commonly read as a proxy for US investor demand. Glassnode added that the latest Bitcoin rebound should be viewed as a local rally rather than a broader trend — a caution consistent with ETF flow history, as daily figures have repeatedly swung between large inflows and outflows since the products launched.
Spot Ethereum ETFs also saw a strong inflow day, taking in $186 million on Aug. 19. That was the highest combined daily inflow for Ether ETFs in nine months. The move came as Ether gained 20% over the same 24-hour period. The Ether products began trading in the United States in July 2024, about six months after their Bitcoin counterparts.
BlackRock’s ETHA led the Ether ETF category with $122.12 million in inflows, according to Farside Investors. Fidelity’s FETH followed with $36.54 million, while Grayscale’s Ethereum Mini ETF brought in $16.04 million. Other inflows included BlackRock Staked ETHB at $9.71 million, Morgan Stanley’s MSSE at $2.25 million, Grayscale’s ETHE at $1.69 million, and Franklin’s EZET at $0.79 million.
As of press time, Ether was trading at $2,263, with its market capitalization above $275 billion. Market commentator Michael van de Poppe said that after such a sharp move, ETH would likely consolidate before attempting another leg higher.
Other crypto ETF products also posted gains. Spot XRP ETFs recorded $5.81 million in net inflows on Aug. 18, rebounding after zero activity on Monday. The figure was the strongest single-day performance for the products since July 31. The five XRP ETFs now collectively hold about 1.5% of XRP’s circulating supply, a notable milestone for some of the newest entrants in the US spot crypto ETF lineup.
Solana spot ETFs recorded net inflows of $1.58 million on Aug. 19. Last week, asset manager Bitwise said it had partnered with Superstate to explore tokenizing its Bitwise Solana Staking ETF (BSOL), a structure that would represent fund shares on a blockchain rather than solely through conventional book-entry records.
T. Rowe Price also added Cardano (ADA) to its Active Crypto ETF, alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum. Unlike the passive spot ETFs tracking the two largest cryptocurrencies, the fund is actively managed, so its managers can adjust which assets it holds. The fund’s website says ADA is now a key holding in the product.
