Yeliz Akmaca 
US-based spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs made a strong impression on the first trading day of 2026. Investors poured a total of $646 million into these funds, signaling a rapid recovery of interest at the start of the year. Still, the broader market remains cautious.
Bitcoin ETFs Reach Two-Month High
The spot Bitcoin ETF segment broke a 35-trading-day silence with a powerful move. Eleven US-based ETFs recorded their strongest single-day net inflow since $524 million on November 11. Spot Ethereum ETFs followed a similar pattern, posting their largest inflow in 15 trading days, surpassing the $177.7 million recorded on December 9.
December Challenged Investors
Crypto ETFs faced a difficult December amid broader market weakness. Bitcoin and Ethereum fell 1.56% and 1.39% respectively over the past 30 days. This downtrend started after Bitcoin reached $125,100 in October, followed by a $19 billion liquidation wave. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index reflected investor caution, remaining between “Fear” and “Extreme Fear”, with the index returning to 25 points on Sunday.
Institutional Investors Adjust Strategies
Tonso’s marketing lead, Wal, commented on social media about this resurgence. Many institutional investors sold Bitcoin in Q4 2025 for tax-loss harvesting, and now they are rebuilding positions. In 2025, US investors directed $31.77 billion into crypto ETFs, with Bitcoin ETFs accounting for $21.4 billion. However, this was below the $35.2 billion inflow in 2024.
Experts note that this renewed capital could help ease risk perception, but high volatility and the Crypto Fear & Greed Index remaining at “Extreme Fear” still urge caution for investors.
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