Via brookings.edu
Bitcoin, Ether ETFs draw $3B in strongest inflow week since October
A $3 billion week-over-week swing reversed recent outflows as trading volumes more than tripled across US spot crypto funds
US spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs just had the kind of week that makes fund managers sleep soundly. Combined net inflows hit $2.6 billion for the week ending August 21, marking the strongest weekly performance for both product categories since October 2025.
Trading volume across the funds surpassed $29 billion, more than tripling from the prior week. The previous week saw roughly $392 million in net outflows, representing a swing of approximately $3 billion in a single week.
Bitcoin leads, Ether follows
Bitcoin ETFs did the heavy lifting, pulling in nearly $1.9 billion and accounting for about 73% of the total haul. Bitcoin fund trading volume alone reached approximately $22.1 billion, an increase of more than 219% week over week.
Net assets under management for Bitcoin ETFs climbed to $96.1 billion, a 25.4% jump driven by both fresh capital and underlying price appreciation. Since their launch in early 2024, cumulative net inflows for Bitcoin ETFs have now reached roughly $53.7 billion.
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Ether ETFs recorded about $697 million in net inflows, representing their largest weekly total of 2026. The combined $2.6 billion week marked the largest weekly inflow total of the entire year for both fund types.
The uncomfortable year-to-date picture
Despite this blockbuster week, both Bitcoin and Ether ETFs remain negative on a year-to-date basis, currently tracking toward their first full year of net outflows since inception.
Bitcoin ETFs debuted in January 2024 to record-setting demand, with Ether ETFs following later that year. Both products attracted billions in their early months, with institutional and retail investors racing to gain regulated exposure to crypto.