Bitcoin ETFs Bring The Heat: $1.2 Billion Flows In First 48 Hours—Analyst

Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US opened 2026 with a burst of cash that surprised some market watchers and encouraged others.

He estimated that if that pace held, annualized inflows could reach about $150 billion — roughly 600% higher than the total for 2025.

The WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund (BTCW) was one of the few exceptions that did not register the same demand. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) was reported to have taken a large share of last year’s buying.

Balchunas pointed out Morgan Stanley manages about $8 trillion in advisory assets and has already cleared its advisors to allocate to such products.

The firm’s proposed Bitcoin trust, according to the filing, would track the spot price and avoid leverage or derivatives.

Analysts say ETF demand is likely to soak up circulating Bitcoin supply. If sustained, that dynamic could change how much liquidity is available to traders and might reduce the amount of BTC offered on exchanges.

There was an early sign of unevenness: preliminary figures showed a large outflow from one Fidelity fund on Tuesday, which raised the chance of a net outflow for the day once all data were in.

Traders and analysts pointed to short position liquidations and a rebound in other risk assets as reasons for the lift. Some on-chain observers flagged accumulation by larger holders, while others said markets were treating the news as concluded rather than as a fresh shock.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView