What happened?
Digital asset funds pulled in $3.17 billion last week despite renewed US–China tariff fears, pushing 2025 inflows to a record $48.7 billion. Bitcoin led the way with roughly $2.7 billion in inflows and US spot BTC ETFs added about $2.71 billion, while weekly ETP volumes hit a record $53 billion and Friday was the busiest trading day ever. Prices still dipped about 7% after the tariff news, but outflows were limited, showing buyers stepped in during the sell-off.
Who does this affect?
Institutional investors and ETF managers are the biggest winners, as big inflows and record volumes show continued demand for regulated crypto products. Retail traders feel it too—higher volumes mean better liquidity but also sharp moves, so short-term volatility can spike. Crypto projects and token markets (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP) are affected by where flows concentrate, with BTC soaking up most capital while interest in some alt ETF launches cooled.
Why does this matter?
Steady, large inflows despite macro shocks signal growing institutional confidence, which can make crypto markets more resilient and deeper over time. With ETFs holding nearly $159 billion (about 7% of Bitcoin’s market cap), further inflows or outflows can meaningfully move prices and amplify trends. That combination of record volumes and concentrated BTC demand raises the odds of big directional moves in the coming weeks, especially as analysts flag a pivotal 100-day window for Bitcoin’s next major trend.