- Bitcoin remains dominant, attracting $1.114B of the $1.239B weekly ETP inflows and accounting for 84% of total YTD inflows in 2024.
- Institutional interest is expanding slowly to Ethereum and select altcoins, with ETH recording $123.8M inflows last week and a $2.43B YTD total.
- Outflows from multi-asset and short Bitcoin products indicate a reduced appetite for broad exposure and bearish positioning amid cautious sentiment.
Contrary to recent market risk-off and ongoing geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States, digital asset investment products continued to attract significant institutional interest. According to data compiled by CoinShares, exchange-traded product (ETP) inflows were at $1.239 billion last week alone.
This figure indicates continued institutional participation even during times of overall market risk-aversion. The report continues to indicate that YTD inflows have increased to $15.105 billion, with Bitcoin still taking the leadership in allocation volume. This stability has been found to be rooted in long-term investment strategies, which remain less affected by short-term market volatility.
Bitcoin Dominates Inflows as Institutions Maintain Focus on Leading Crypto Assets
Bitcoin led the weekly inflow tally, receiving $1.114 billion in new capital. This inflow raised its total YTD figure to $12.7 billion. The asset now accounts for nearly 84% of all ETP inflows in 2024. Furthermore, assets under management (AUM) tied to Bitcoin-based products stand at $151.99 billion, far ahead of any other crypto asset in the report.
The strength in Bitcoin allocations reflects a continued preference among institutions for the largest and most liquid cryptocurrency. Even amid volatility, this trend has remained unchanged, indicating sustained institutional interest.
Ethereum also recorded massive inflows of $123.8 million last week, bringing its YTD tally to $2.43 billion. Its current AUM stands at $14.29 billion. Although smaller in size than Bitcoin, Ethereum’s steady increase in institutional participation represents a wider asset of preference. Other altcoins like Solana, XRP, Chainlink, and Cardano also recorded small but positive inflows that reflect narrow but diversified institutional exposure outside of leading-level tokens.
Multi-Asset and Short Products See Pullback
However, not all segments posted growth. Multi-asset products, designed to offer diversified crypto exposure, recorded $5.8 million in outflows last week. The category now shows a YTD net outflow of $17 million, indicating declining demand for broad-spectrum crypto exposure. Similarly, products designed to short Bitcoin faced $1.4 million in outflows, reducing their total AUM to $97 million. The decreasing volume in short Bitcoin positions may reflect reduced appetite for bearish bets among institutions.
Sui was another asset that saw negative flows, reporting $0.5 million in outflows despite a YTD net inflow of $103 million. The category labeled “Other,” which includes minor digital assets not listed individually, posted a significant outflow of $509 million. While the reasons for these exits remain unaddressed in the data, they highlight selective positioning among investors in an evolving market.
Overall Allocations Maintain Upward Momentum
Cumulative AUM across all digital asset investment products now totals $176.263 billion, supported by inflows from the past week. Despite negative flows in a few categories, the broader trend suggests persistent accumulation. Altcoins such as Solana and XRP Registered Modest Inflows of 2.8 Million and 2.7 Million respectively and AUM reaching 1.345 billion and 1.205 billion respectively. Chainlink, LITEcoin, and Cardano have registered lesser but consistent rise, indicating low-level interest.
The total number of inflows across the report suggests continued market engagement by institutions. As weekly inflows grow, the overall investment landscape shows signs of capital redistribution rather than withdrawal.
