Crypto investment funds intake $130M, while filings reveal new spot BTC ETF purchasers

As an experienced financial analyst, I find the recent data on cryptocurrency investment products intriguing. The inflows totaling $130 million in the week ending May 6, as reported by CoinShares, signals a reversal of five consecutive weeks of outflows. Institutions have been increasing their exposure to digital assets, with crypto investment products seeing significant inflows.


As a cryptocurrency market analyst, I’m pleased to report that there was a significant turnaround in investment flows during the week ending May 6th. Contrary to the previous five weeks which saw outflows totaling $130 million, this latest period experienced inflows of the same amount. This shift indicates a renewed interest and confidence among investors in cryptocurrency investment products.

Based on the latest “Digital Asset Fund Flows Weekly” report from CoinShares, which came out on May 13th, I’ve noticed that institutional investors have upped their involvement in digital assets. Specifically, crypto investment products experienced a collective inflow of approximately $130 million during the previous week.

Bitcoin (BTC) investment funds were once again the primary recipients of inflows, totaling $144 million.

Crypto investment funds intake $130M, while filings reveal new spot BTC ETF purchasers

The report reveals that the weekly trade volumes for investment products dropped significantly from an average of $17 billion in April to just $8 billion during the week ending May 10th.

CoinShares head of research James Butterfill said,

“These volumes highlight ETP investors are participating less in the crypto ecosystem at present, representing 22% of total volumes on global trusted exchanges relative to 31% last month.”

The inflation data in the United States has caused heavy selling and uncertainty, leading up to this week’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading. During that period, from May 6 to May 10, institutions invested approximately $116.8 million into Bitcoin spot ETFs, as the inflow into Grayscale’s GBTC decreased.

Crypto investment funds intake $130M, while filings reveal new spot BTC ETF purchasers

Based on data from Farside Investors, there was a significant surge in institutional investment into U.S. spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). This marked the largest single influx of capital since May 6th.

As a researcher examining the Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) market, I’ve discovered that only Fidelity, Bitwise, and VanEck’s spot Bitcoin ETF funds experienced net inflows on May 13th. Among these three, Fidelity’s Bitcoin fund was the most significantly impacted with approximately $20.3 million in new investments pouring in on that day.

Crypto investment funds intake $130M, while filings reveal new spot BTC ETF purchasers

The table below indicates that the United States, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Australia, and Brazil experienced net deposits of funds. Notably, Canada had the highest net withdrawals, amounting to $20 million.

Crypto investment funds intake $130M, while filings reveal new spot BTC ETF purchasers

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board disclosed that it had invested directly in Bitcoin, contributing to a surge in funds flowing into cryptocurrency investments.

As a crypto investor, I’d put it this way: In our Q1 report filed with the SEC on May 14th, we disclosed that we bought approximately 94,562 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).

The SWIB investment board disclosed that it had acquired approximately $64 million in shares of Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC).

As a crypto investor, I closely followed MacroScope’s recent analysis. They highlighted the significance of the Board’s latest filing regarding Bitcoin as one of the most crucial disclosures in the cryptocurrency space to date. Other investment boards are expected to scrutinize this development closely and could potentially adopt similar strategies.

Crypto investment funds intake $130M, while filings reveal new spot BTC ETF purchasers

According to Bloomberg’s leading ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, it appears that the Board’s consideration of Bitcoin spot ETFs has emerged earlier than anticipated.

“Wow, a state pension bought $IBIT in the first quarter. Normally, you don’t get these big fish institutions in the 13Fs for a year or so (when the ETF gets more liquidity), but as we’ve seen, these are no ordinary launches.”

According to Balchunas, this development is a positive indicator for the market. Furthermore, she anticipates that more institutions will likely follow this trend.

This development represents a noteworthy shift for SWIB as they delve into the digital asset sector through the purchase of Spot Bitcoin ETFs. The Wisconsin Investment Committee’s decision to invest in these ETFs enables investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without having to hold the cryptocurrency directly. This action could be indicative of a rising trend among conventional financial institutions towards incorporating crypto investment vehicles.

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2024-05-15 00:39