Bitcoin ETFs Experience Best Week Since October Crash as Bearish Pressure Builds

Bitcoin ETFs experience their strongest weekly performance since the October market crash, signaling renewed institutional interest even as broader crypto markets face fresh bearish pressure. The surge in inflows highlights a growing divergence between long-term capital positioning and short-term macro-driven uncertainty.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs Attract $1.42B in Strongest Week Since Early October 

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs posted combined weekly inflows of roughly $1.42 billion, according to SoSoValue data, marking their best performance in months. The rebound comes as Bitcoin recovered sharply from sub-$90,000 levels seen at the start of the year, briefly pushing toward the $98,000 zone before encountering resistance.

Despite this positive ETF momentum, sentiment across the wider crypto market remains fragile. Escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and the European Union have injected renewed caution, prompting profit-taking and raising questions about how sustainable the current recovery may be.

Bitcoin ETFs Experience Best Week Since October Crash Driven by Institutional Inflows

The strong inflow figures were led overwhelmingly by BlackRock’s IBIT, which accounted for more than 70% of total weekly inflows, adding approximately $1.03 billion. Fidelity’s FBTC followed with net inflows of around $194 million, reinforcing the trend of capital concentration among the largest issuers.

As of the latest data, the combined net asset value of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs stands near $124.5 billion, representing roughly 6.5% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization. This growth reflects increasing acceptance of regulated Bitcoin exposure, even as price volatility persists.

Ethereum ETFs also showed signs of revival, recording their largest weekly inflows since last year’s crash. Spot ETH ETFs attracted about $479 million, with BlackRock once again leading contributions, suggesting broader institutional re-engagement with digital assets beyond Bitcoin.

Bitcoin Futures Market Reawakens

Alongside ETF inflows, Bitcoin futures markets are showing signs of renewed activity. Open interest has risen roughly 12% since the beginning of the year, rebounding from a prolonged deleveraging phase that followed October’s sharp correction.

CryptoQuant analyst DarkFrost noted on X that Bitcoin futures open interest has dropped by 17.5% over the past three months. This significant decline followed a sharp 36% price crash that occurred in October. The analysis suggests a cooling of market leverage in response to the recent volatility.

🗞️ Bitcoin Open Interest falls from 381K to 314K BTC while Binance holds 36% of total OI.

Futures markets continue to account for the vast majority of Bitcoin trading volumes, far ahead of spot and ETFs. In this context, Open Interest is a key indicator to assess investor… pic.twitter.com/uzWba0fAvM

— Darkfost (@Darkfost_Coc) January 18, 2026

According to CryptoQuant data, BTC futures open interest climbed from an eight-month low near $54 billion on January 1 to around $61 billion by January 19, peaking at $66 billion earlier in the month. This recovery indicates growing trader participation, though it also raises the risk of heightened volatility if sentiment shifts abruptly.

With key macroeconomic and geopolitical events approaching, analysts warn that Bitcoin ETF inflows could slow in the near term. While institutional demand remains a strong structural tailwind, markets appear increasingly sensitive to external shocks, keeping bearish pressure firmly in play despite recent gains.

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