Billions to Flow Into Bitcoin by 2026, Bitwise Forecasts

A new report by crypto index fund manager Bitwise forecasts that capital inflows into Bitcoin could exceed $120 billion by the end of 2025 and rise to as much as $300 billion in 2026.

Crypto index fund manager Bitwise has predicted that capital flows into Bitcoin could exceed $120 billion by the end of 2025, potentially reaching $300 billion in 2026.

This growth is expected to be driven by increasing interest from sovereign wealth funds, public corporations, state treasuries, and institutional vehicles like exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

As BTC continues to mature, Bitwise argues that it is no longer just a speculative asset. Instead, it is becoming a serious contender as a global store of value. The report notes that there is a structural shift happening—wealth is gradually moving away from traditional safe havens like gold and flowing into BTC.

“[There has been] an astounding lack of interest in Bitcoin from the U.S. institutional sector in 2024,” begins the report.

“But that is quickly changing. In total, U.S. Bitcoin ETFs have now attracted over $36.2 billion in net flows in 2024.”

This dwarfs the early performance of SPDR Gold Shares (GLD)—the most successful commodity ETF in history—which generated $1.7 billion in net yearly inflows at its peak.

“The early performance of U.S. Bitcoin ETFs has outpaced the best year of GLD by a factor of 20,” adds Bitwise.

Within a year, U.S. Bitcoin ETFs have crossed the $125 billion threshold in assets under management (AUM), showcasing deepening interest from both retail and institutional investors. Bitwise projects that these annual inflows could reach $100 billion by 2027.

However, around $35 billion in capital remained sidelined in 2024 due to compliance restrictions at major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. These firms are expected to loosen their policies as Bitcoin ETFs continue to demonstrate resilience.

Institutions and Governments Are Pivoting to Bitcoin

Beyond Wall Street, Bitwise highlights Bitcoin’s growing appeal to public companies, which currently hold over 1.1 million BTC, valued at more than $125 billion. Meanwhile, sovereign governments hold over 500,000 BTC collectively, with the U.S., China, and the U.K. leading the way.

In its base case scenario, Bitwise envisions a modest reallocation of institutional and sovereign assets into Bitcoin—just 5% of gold reserves by governments and 0.5% of assets from major wealth platforms. Even under these conservative assumptions, total Bitcoin inflows could reach $420 billion over 2025–2026.

In a more aggressive bull case, with 10% of gold holdings and 1% of managed portfolios shifting into BTC, inflows could surge past $426 billion, absorbing more than 4 million BTC—around 15% of total supply.

This projected capital shift not only deepens institutional trust in Bitcoin but also indicates a broader financial transformation that could redefine the role of digital assets globally.