US-based spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs started 2026 strong, recording a combined net inflow of around $646 million on the first day of trading, despite mixed sentiment in the broader crypto market.
On Friday, spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETFs saw net inflows of $471.3 million, while spot Ether (ETH) ETFs added $174.5 million, bringing total inflows across the two types of ETFs to $645.8 million. according to to Farside data.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs saw their biggest net inflows in 35 trading days since Nov. 11, when eleven U.S. ETFs combined to record $524 million in a single day.
Meanwhile, spot Ether ETFs posted their biggest one-day inflow in 15 trading days, the most since Dec. 9, when $177.7 million was recorded.
Crypto ETFs had a rough December amid a market slump
Crypto market participants often look to ETF inflows as an indicator of mainstream investor sentiment toward the asset class, as well as a potential signal of short-term price direction, depending on whether ETFs are experiencing inflows or steady outflows.
Over the past 30 days, Bitcoin and Ether spot prices have fallen 1.56% and 1.39%, respectively, continuing a broader decline that began shortly after Bitcoin hit a record high of $125,100 on October 5, followed by a widely reported $19 billion liquidation event on October 10.
The downward trend has caused market participants to be more cautious about the crypto market.
The Crypto Fear and Greed Index, which measures overall market sentiment, has hovered between “extreme fear” and “fear” territory since early November.
On Sunday, Index returned to “Extreme Fear” with a rating of 25.
Institutional investors are “loading up,” says crypto CEO
Tons Chief Marketing Officer “Wal” he said in X’s post on Friday that Bitcoin ETFs have “come back,” claiming that “many institutional investors have sold their $BTC in the fourth quarter of ’25. tax the harvest of loss.”
“They’re filling up now, this is just the beginning,” Wal said.
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Despite the crypto market stumbling towards the final months of the year, US investors have invested more than $31.77 billion in US crypto ETFs in 2025.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs took the lion’s share of investor interest, accumulating $21.4 billion in net inflows in 2025. However, this marked a decline from the $35.2 billion in net inflows recorded in 2024.
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