Bitcoin and Ether ETFs pull in $646M on first trading day of 2026
US-based spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs began 2026 on a strong note, posting a combined net inflow of around $646 million on the first trading day, despite mixed sentiment across 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 ETF types to $645.8 million, according to Farside data.US spot Bitcoin ETFs posted their largest net inflow in 35 trading days since Nov. 11, when the eleven US-based ETFs collectively saw $524 million in a single day.Meanwhile, spot Ether ETFs posted their largest single-day inflow in 15 trading days, the largest since Dec. 9, when $177.7 million was recorded.Crypto ETFs had a tough December amid market declineCrypto market participants often view 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 constant outflows.Over the past 30 days, the spot prices of Bitcoin and Ether have fallen 1.56% and 1.39%, respectively, continuing a broader downturn that began shortly after Bitcoin hit a record high of $125,100 on Oct. 5, which was followed by the widely reported $19 billion liquidation event on Oct. 10. The downtrend has led to market participants being more cautious about the crypto market. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures overall market sentiment, has been between âExtreme Fearâ and âFearâ territory since early November. On Sunday, the Index returned to âExtreme Fearâ with a score of 25.Institutional investors are âloading up,â says crypto execTonso's chief marketing officer âWalâ said in an X post on Friday that spot Bitcoin ETFs âare back,â claiming âlots of institutional investors sold their $BTC in Q4 â25 to tax loss harvest.ââNow they are loading up, this is just the beginning,â Wal said.Despite the crypto markets stumbling towards the final months of the year, US investors poured over $31.77 billion into US crypto ETFs in 2025.US spot Bitcoin ETFs took the lionâs share of investor interest, accumulating $21.4 billion in net inflows in 2025. However, it marked a fall from the $35.2 billion net inflows seen in 2024.Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 â and how theyâll change in 2026