Bitcoin ETF Inflows Total $12.98B, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) Attracts $2.48B

Investor money flowed into U.S.-listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over the past week to the tune of $12.98 billion.

ETFs provide a low-cost and efficient way for investors to gain broad market exposure. As the markets navigate a period of uncertainty, traders and hedge funds are actively seeking out new and efficient strategies to navigate the shifting market trends.

One strategy that has seen a resurgence in recent times is the "basis trade." This strategy typically involves borrowing an ETF and selling it in the futures market to profit from the difference in price, known as the "basis."

Another interesting takeaway from the ETF flow data is the remarkable performance of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).

The fund, which tracks the price of Bitcoin, saw an astounding $2.48 billion in inflows over the past week alone. This is the second-highest inflow among all ETFs and represents a 54.47% increase from the prior week.

In total, IBIT has taken in $3.83 billion in 2025, placing it eighth in the ETF flow rankings. This is a significant ascent considering the fund was ranked outside the top 50 at the beginning of the year.

Its assets under management now total $59.64 billion, making it the largest Bitcoin ETF in the U.S.

According to analysts, the large inflows into IBIT could be due to a renewed interest in hedge fund basis trading strategies and institutional investors following the decoupling between Bitcoin and broader market indices.

While IBIT commanded most of the inflows, at least ten spot Bitcoin ETFs reported net inflows for the week, indicating some interest in the sector. However, the vast majority of inflows were concentrated in IBIT, signaling a strong preference for lower-cost and highly liquid options.

Among other noteworthy trends, Grayscale’s GBTC saw continued net outflows for the fourth consecutive month, with a total outflow of $210.82 million over the past month, including $58.61 million for the week.

This trend is in line with the ongoing migration of investors away from legacy products with higher fees in favor of more efficient alternatives.

Fidelity’s FBTC experienced a substantial outflow of $201.09 million for the week, despite a net monthly inflow of $151.71 million. This variance might be attributed to short-term shifts in sentiment or rebalancing strategies within institutional portfolios.

Smaller funds such as HODL and BTCW posted more modest activity. HODL saw a net monthly gain of $30.18 million, while BTCW lost $17.12 million. Franklin Templeton’s BRRR ETF followed a downward pattern with $26.52 million in monthly outflows.

Cumulatively, spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted nearly $4 billion in net inflows for the month, with IBIT bearing the brunt of that capital.

In traditional ETF territory, VOO from Vanguard collected the most overall ETF inflows of the week at $3.93 billion. Even though the fund has a -3.02% YTD return, it still enjoyed continued investor support seeking long-term exposure to U.S. large-cap equities.

Newfound interest in non-U.S. markets was also evident in gains of $1.37 billion for the iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS) and $1.06 billion for the iShares International Quality ETF (IQLT).

In the fixed-income domain, the SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (SGOV) amassed $1.21 billion in inflows, reflecting continued appetite for Treasuries with minimal exposure to longer duration, as those in power continue to ponder rate policy.

Despite a total return market-wide decline of -211.22% YTD on specific metrics, investors are not pulling money out of the markets but rather reallocating their capital with an eye toward liquidity, diversification and asset efficiency.