Bitcoin and Solana have emerged as the top choices for institutional investors, according to a recent report by CoinShares. These two digital assets experienced significant inflows into investment products last week, with Bitcoin being the clear leader. It garnered a total of $703 million in inflows, accounting for 99% of all flows into these investment products. Solana, although distant, secured the second spot with an inflow of $13 million, surpassing Ethereum, which only attracted $6.4 million in inflows.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs Gain Traction
The spotlight has been on Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, which witnessed a noteworthy inflow of $721 million last week. These ETFs have been performing impressively since their launch, averaging $1.9 billion in inflows over the past four weeks. This brings their total inflows to a staggering $7.7 billion. In contrast, Grayscale’s GBTC has experienced considerable outflows, contributing to the overall $6 billion decline in these funds.
Fortunately, the recent weeks have shown a slowdown in the outflows from GBTC, indicating that investors may be holding onto their positions and taking fewer profits. This shift in sentiment has allowed other Spot Bitcoin ETFs, with their substantial inflows, to overshadow the outflows from GBTC. In fact, BlackRock’s IBIT recently surpassed GBTC in trading volume for the first time, further demonstrating the changing landscape of institutional investors’ preferences.
Trading volumes in Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) experienced a dip last week, dropping to $8.2 billion from the previous week’s total of $10.6 billion. This decline was evident in the figures reported by Spot Bitcoin ETFs, as their daily trading volume fell below $1 billion for the first time. On February 1, the trading volume amounted to $924 million, and this trend continued the following day, with $922 million recorded. While this decrease may raise concerns, it is not necessarily alarming, according to Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas.
Positive Signs for the Future
Balchunas reassured that a decline in trading volume is a common occurrence after an initially highly anticipated launch. However, the overall performance of these Spot Bitcoin ETFs remains impressive. BlackRock and Fidelity, the top two issuers by Assets under Management (AuM), now hold a combined total of over 134,358 BTC ($5.7 billion) for their Spot Bitcoin ETFs. Additionally, their funds secured spots in the top 10 of all ETF inflows in January, indicating a growing interest in these investment products and the increasing institutional adoption of Bitcoin.
The recent CoinShares report outlines the dominance of Bitcoin and Solana in institutional investment flows, as well as the prominence of Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US market. While there has been a temporary decrease in trading volume, this does not undermine the positive performance and growing interest in these investment products. As institutional adoption continues to rise, the crypto market can expect further advancements and developments in the coming months. However, it’s essential for investors to conduct thorough research and understand the risks associated with these investments before making any decisions.