In brief
- Crypto funds attracted $1.1 billion in weekly inflows last week, the highest in three months.
- Bitcoin dominated flows with $871 million while Ethereum reversed recent outflows with $196.5 million.
- Short-Bitcoin hedging products saw their largest inflows since November at $20.2 million.
Crypto investment products surged back to life last week as improving macro conditions triggered a sharp reversal in institutional sentiment, according to data released Monday by asset manager CoinShares.
The $1.1 billion in weekly inflows marked the strongest weekly performance since early January, with tentative ceasefire developments in Iran and softer-than-expected US CPI data restoring investor confidence, according to James Butterfill, head of research at CoinShares.
U.S. investors dominated the return to crypto, accounting for $1.06 billion or 95% of global flows. U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs captured the bulk of this activity with $833.2 million in weekly inflows, according to Farside Investors data. Trading volumes rose 13% week-over-week to $21 billion, per CoinShares, though this remains well below the year-to-date average of $31 billion, suggesting room for further recovery.
The inflow surge revealed sophisticated institutional positioning as investors simultaneously increased both bullish bets and downside hedges.
While Bitcoin funds globally attracted $871 million and Ethereum saw $196.5 million last week after three weeks of outflows, short-Bitcoin products recorded $20.2 million in inflows—their highest weekly total since November 2024. This dual positioning suggests institutions are adding crypto exposure while maintaining protection against potential volatility.
Last week's performance brought Bitcoin's year-to-date inflows to just under $2 billion, representing 83% of the $2.3 billion in total crypto ETP inflows recorded in 2026 so far. Ethereum remains one of the few assets in negative territory for the year with cumulative outflows of $130 million, despite its recent weekly recovery. The broader inflow surge has lifted total assets under management to levels not seen since early February.
XRP funds led the way the previous week with nearly $120 million worth of inflows, even outpacing Bitcoin funds during that week—but XRP investments fell to $19.3 million last week, per the CoinShares report.
Last week’s institutional crypto surge follows five consecutive weeks of outflows totaling $4 billion that had dampened market sentiment through March.
Amid last week’s rebound came the launch of Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF, which pulled in nearly $62 million in investments last week after its Wednesday launch, per Farside Investors.
The firm has already filed for Ethereum and Solana ETFs, as well, and Morgan Stanley’s Amy Oldenburg told Decrypt last week that the firm also plans to explore crypto offerings like a tokenized money market fund and tax-harvesting services for clients.