Digital asset investment products pulled in $2.2 billion last week—up dramatically from $48 million the week prior—gaining momentum as traders gravitated toward Bitcoin on the eve of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The Republican assumed control of the White House Monday, and he is expected to issue a flurry of crypto-related executive orders, as Decrypt reported last week. Those initiatives could range from SEC and CFTC directives to trying to establish a so-called Bitcoin reserve.
With the U.S. stock market closed in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, traders’ allocations heated up Friday during a final, pre-inaugural session, James Butterfill, head of research at the investment firm CoinShares, told Decrypt.
“We began the week with minor outflows, but as weaker-than-expected macro data followed in and the euphoria around Trump escalated, we saw substantial inflows,” Butterfill said, adding that digital asset investment products attracted $1 billion in net inflows on Friday alone.
The products tracked by CoinShares, which include spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, saw $44 billion worth of inflows last year. While the record-breaking pace appeared poised to continue at the start of this month, macroeconomic headwinds partly clouded that outlook.
Even though Bitcoin’s price briefly slid below $90,000 at the beginning of last week, the final tally for inflows was among the best on record. Last year, net weekly inflows crested above $2 billion just eight times, with five of those showings taking place in December.
Trump himself made moves in the crypto market before reciting the oath of office, with the launch of an official meme coin days ago. Issued on Solana, the network’s SOL coin price then jumped to an all-time high over the weekend. Still, it was among the least popular in terms of inflows last week.
Solana investment products—which only trade outside of the United States—saw $2.5 million worth of inflows through Friday, falling well short of the $246 million that was meanwhile stuffed into Ethereum counterparts. Inflows into XRP and Chainlink products overshadowed Solana too, at $30 million and $2.8 million, respectively.
“I would expect there to be greater flows this week than last into Solana-focused products,” Brian Rudick, head of research at crypto trading firm GSR, told Decrypt. “The president's support and choice to launch these on Solana brings a lot of attention.”
It’s worth noting that Solana does not yet have a spot ETF in the U.S., which would broaden investors’ access to the coin and draw in anywhere from $4 to $6 billion if existing applications are approved, according to a team of researchers at JP Morgan.
Though Ethereum products saw stronger inflows than Solana alternatives last week, funds for the second-largest coin by market cap have still bled $28 million since the start of the year. Meanwhile, Solana investment products have taken in $27 million.
Edited by Andrew Hayward