Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs Draw Nearly $900M in Inflows

US spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds drew nearly $900 million in fresh capital as both cryptocurrencies pushed through closely watched price levels. Bitcoin funds attracted $730.8 million, their third-largest daily inflow of 2026, while Ethereum ETFs added $141.4 million. Bitcoin climbed above $81,000 and Ethereum topped $2,500.

BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for roughly $454 million, or about 62% of the Bitcoin inflows. ARK 21Shares’ ARKB added $137.7 million and Fidelity’s FBTC drew $74.4 million. Ethereum demand was even more concentrated, with BlackRock’s ETHA and Fidelity’s FETH attracting a combined $137.2 million, nearly all of the category’s net inflow.

Why it matters

The simultaneous move represents a sharp return of institutional demand after several sessions of uneven flows. It also broadened a rally that had initially depended heavily on short sellers being forced out of positions. Simon-Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com, said flows of this size absorbed substantial sell orders and helped lift spot prices despite rising sovereign bond yields in the US and Japan.

Spot ETF demand gives the rally a stronger demand signal than short covering alone. The flow was broad across major products, but the concentration in BlackRock and Fidelity products shows that a limited group of large managers still drives much of the institutional bid.

Market impact

Bitcoin futures open interest climbed above $57 billion, its highest level since May, as the stronger spot market spilled into leveraged trading. More than $260 million of short positions were liquidated during the advance, making it the largest short squeeze since Aug. 21. The forced buying added momentum, but leverage also increased the risk that a sudden reversal could trigger another round of forced selling.

Bitcoin ETFs had swung from a $236.5 million outflow on Sept. 1 to a $101.1 million inflow the following day before Thursday’s $730.8 million surge. Ethereum funds posted a $48.2 million outflow on Sept. 2, ending a 12-session inflow streak, before reversing sharply.