Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) experienced significant inflows, drawing over $1 billion of fresh investment on May 22. This represents the largest single-day gain for crypto ETFs since November 2024, driven primarily by Bitcoin’s recent climb to record price levels.
Specifically, spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted a massive $934 million, marking their biggest inflow since January 17. The influx elevated total assets under management (AUM) for Bitcoin ETFs to $104 billion. BlackRock’s IBIT fund emerged as the major beneficiary, acquiring substantial new holdings that brought its total to 651,620 bitcoins. This increase enabled BlackRock to surpass Binance and become the second-largest holder of Bitcoin behind only the inactive wallet reputedly belonging to Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, which holds approximately 1.123 million BTC. MicroStrategy, led by Michael Saylor, currently holds 576 bitcoins, placing it in fourth place.
Ethereum-focused ETFs, meanwhile, saw impressive gains of their own, recording net inflows of $110 million—the highest single-day inflow since February 4. Grayscale’s ETHE fund was the leading recipient, receiving $43.7 million out of this total. Subsequently, total Ethereum ETF assets under management reached $10.07 billion.
These consistent inflows into Ethereum ETFs represented the fifth consecutive day of positive investor activity, underlining continued market confidence in the cryptocurrency. Since the beginning of May, Ethereum’s price performance has notably improved, rising by approximately 44%.
The strong ETF inflows align with cryptocurrency market activity, as Bitcoin reached its latest all-time high of $111,970 on May 22. This sustained bullish momentum in the cryptocurrency markets remains intact despite prevailing weakness in traditional financial markets, where worries relating to U.S. government debt and tariff uncertainties have weighed heavily.
