Live Updates: Bitcoin, Ether ETFs Pull in $800 Million as Inflows Surge for a Second Day

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs pulled in more than $1.07 billion over three trading sessions from October 19 through October 21, according to CryptoNews, which reported $526.7 million on Monday, $23.2 million on Tuesday and $524.8 million on Wednesday. Decrypt, however, reported that the same funds then shed $635.6 million on Thursday, erasing nearly 60% of that streak and flipping October back to a net loss of about $176 million. Bitcoin traded near $81,460 on Friday, flat over 24 hours and down 0.4% on the week, per Decrypt, while CoinDesk put it near $81,500 early Friday in a range of less than $1,000.

Background

The sources describe spot crypto ETFs as exchange-traded funds that hold the underlying asset, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, and trade on stock exchanges like ordinary shares, letting investors gain exposure through a regular brokerage account without buying or storing crypto themselves. Decrypt notes Bitcoin funds debuted in January 2024 and have since drawn $57.8 billion in net inflows, while Ethereum funds, which followed that July, have taken in $12.7 billion, and Solana funds arrived late last year. Because issuers report flows daily and much of the money comes from institutions and financial advisers, the figures have become one of the most closely watched gauges of investor sentiment, according to Decrypt. CryptoNews separately reported that a wallet linked by blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence to convicted Irish drug trafficker Clifton Collins moved another 500 BTC, worth $41 million, to a Coinbase Prime deposit address on October 20, the fifth such 500 BTC transfer during 2026. Collins accumulated 6,000 BTC in 2011 and 2012 using proceeds from drug dealing, and after his arrest in 2017 the printed copies of his wallet keys were reportedly discarded by his landlord.

What happened

CryptoNews reported that U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $526.7 million in net inflows on Monday, October 19, followed by $23.2 million on Tuesday and $524.8 million on Wednesday, for a combined $1.0747 billion across the three sessions. Wednesday's rebound was driven by BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which attracted $235 million, and Fidelity's FBTC, which recorded $212.7 million, while Grayscale's GBTC added $32.6 million and Bitwise's BITB attracted $19.2 million. Monday's $526.7 million total was primarily driven by $665.2 million entering IBIT, partially offset by $54.9 million in outflows from GBTC and $83.6 million from FBTC. Decrypt then reported that the funds shed $635.6 million on Thursday, the biggest single-day outflow of the month, topping the $484.9 million exit on Oct. 7, wiping out nearly 60% of the roughly $1.07 billion taken in over the previous three sessions and pushing October back to about $176 million in net outflows. Ethereum ETFs lost $110.6 million, bringing their October losses to roughly $1.18 billion, and Solana ETFs shed $8.9 million, bringing them to about $68 million in outflows this month. CryptoNews also reported the Collins-linked 500 BTC transfer to Coinbase Prime on October 20, noting Arkham's tracking indicates approximately 2,500 BTC from Collins-linked holdings have moved during 2026, leaving around 3,500 BTC in associated wallets, and that the transfers have coincided with cryptocurrency seizures publicly announced by Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau.

Market impact

Decrypt reported Bitcoin traded near $81,460 on Friday, flat over 24 hours and down 0.4% on the week, with Ethereum down 0.2% to about $2,400 and Solana down 0.3% to roughly $104. The 30-day declines are steeper: Bitcoin down 4.8%, Ethereum 11.4% and Solana 10.4%. Total crypto market cap held at about $2.85 trillion, while trading volume fell 20% to $67.1 billion. Cumulative net inflows since launch slipped to $57.8 billion, with total net assets at $100.2 billion. CoinDesk reported Bitcoin dipped to about $81,000 late Thursday and traded near $81,500 early Friday, boxed in a range of less than $1,000 and still below $82,500, the support it lost on Thursday; it was down 0.4% over 24 hours. BNB was the standout, up nearly 2% to about $745, and DOGE added about 1%, while XMR fell 7% to about $607 and ZEC lost nearly 4% to about $1,200. Ether was just under $2,400. Brent crude touched its highest level since early May, and the 10-year Treasury yield had fallen by the most in more than a year on Thursday. Decrypt reported traders on Myriad, a prediction market developed by Decrypt's parent company Dastan, cut the odds of Bitcoin topping $87,500 this month to 17% from 20% a day earlier, with 9% odds of reaching $90,000 and 32% odds of a slide to $77,500.

Why it matters

Decrypt framed the ETF flow figures as a closely watched gauge of investor sentiment because issuers report daily and much of the money comes from institutions and financial advisers. The sources show that gauge swinging sharply within a single week: CryptoNews reported renewed demand across three sessions, and Decrypt reported the largest single-day outflow of the month the next day, leaving October negative. Decrypt noted that despite the heavy outflows prices barely budged, and that Bitcoin has settled into a wait-and-see mode, which analysts told the outlet may not be a bad thing for the market. CryptoNews said the next sessions will help establish whether the inflows mark a sustained recovery or a short-term surge concentrated in a few large funds. Separately, CryptoNews reported that the Collins-linked transfers demonstrate that substantial amounts of long-dormant Bitcoin can re-enter circulation, and that further transfers, an official statement from Irish authorities or confirmation from Coinbase could clarify whether the funds are under state control, being held in custody or moving for another reason.