TL;DR
- Spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $1.42B for the week ending Jan. 16, the biggest since Oct. 10, with IBIT contributing $1.03B.
- Bitcoin ran from about $90,500 to roughly $97,000, then dropped 2.6% on Sunday to $92,618 on U.S.-EU tensions over Greenland.
- Analysts flagged accumulation and a possible supply squeeze, but said leverage drove the drop, with $824M liquidations in 24 hours; Ethereum ETFs added $479M, a post-October high for now.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs just delivered their strongest week of net inflows since October, a reminder that institutional appetite can turn on fast. Data showed $1.42 billion of net inflows for the week ending Jan. 16, the biggest weekly total since the week of Oct. 10. BlackRock’s IBIT dominated with $1.03 billion. The cleanest read is that institutions are rebuilding exposure, even while retail stays cautious in the current tape. Nick Ruck of LVRG Research said the flows signal revived demand and that Bitcoin is viewed as a long-term asset class despite short-term volatility.
What the inflows are really saying
The timing lined up with price action that looked almost scripted. Bitcoin rose from around $90,500 to roughly $97,000 during the week as inflows accelerated, then reversed as macro risk re-entered the chat. Data also tied the late-week retreat to tensions between the U.S. and the EU over Greenland, and noted a 2.6% drop over 24 hours on Sunday to $92,618. Flows can lift the market, but headlines still decide where the day closes. For traders, that means momentum and risk controls have to coexist, especially when liquidity thins and volatility returns without an appointment.
Ruck added that strong ETF inflows point to continued accumulation in the new year, and said a potential supply squeeze could support a recovery if demand persists. Still, the drawdown was framed as positioning-driven. Vincent Liu, CIO of Kronos Research, said the pullback stemmed from forced liquidations triggered by the unwinding of highly leveraged positions. Coinglass data put total crypto liquidations at $824 million in the last 24 hours. When leverage flushes out, the market can look worse than the underlying bid actually is. That distinction matters for allocators this week.
Bitcoin was not the only beneficiary. Spot Ethereum ETFs also brought in $479 million last week, their highest weekly inflow since October, suggesting institutions are widening the aperture beyond a single asset. The same commentary stressed that structural support remains strong, but prices will stay sensitive to leverage and liquidity dynamics in the near term. The real test is whether steady ETF demand can absorb shocks without relying on fresh leverage. If inflows hold while liquidations fade, the setup looks healthier; if not, volatility will keep dictating the path and traders will keep running lighter.
