Bitcoin ETF investors appear to be anything but momentum chasers this year.
While it’s widely known that BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has seen tremendous success since launching in January 2024, data from Bloomberg’s skilled ETF analyst, Eric Balchunas, presents a different perspective on that success.
In 2025, IBIT stands out as the sixth top ETF in terms of inflows, accumulating over $25 billion from investors. Leading in inflows is Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (VOO) with $145 billion, while the iShares S&P 100 ETF (OEF) ranks 25th with $10 billion.
Notably, among the top 25 ETFs, IBIT is the only one showing a negative return for the year — down 9.6% as of midday Friday. In contrast, the SPDR Gold ETF (GLD) ranks eighth with $20.8 billion in inflows but has seen a remarkable 65% increase in 2025.
“Crypto Twitter’s first reaction is to complain about the [BTC] return,” said Balchunas. “The key takeaway is that it’s in 6th place DESPITE the negative return (boomers demonstrating a HODL strategy).”
“This is a very positive sign for the long term,” he added. “If you can achieve $25 billion in a bad year, imagine the inflow potential in a good year.”
