Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have drawn strong inflows in 2026 as Matrixport analysts point to renewed investor appetite due to the new year’s “clean-slate effect.”
US spot Bitcoin ETFs bagged $697 million worth of inflows during the second trading day of 2026 on Tuesday, bringing in over $1.1 billion in net positive inflows in the opening days of the new year, according to Farside Investors data.
The renewed inflows are a welcome sign for Bitcoin (BTC) holders, following two consecutive months of net outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs. The funds saw $3.48 billion in outflows in November and $1.09 billion in December, according to Sosovalue data.
Inflows to spot Bitcoin ETFs were the primary driver of Bitcoin’s momentum in 2025, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, recently told Cointelegraph.
Related: Strategy kickstarts 2026 with $116M Bitcoin buy as Q4 paper loss hits $17B
Looking at other crypto funds, spot Ether (ETH) ETFs attracted $168 million on Monday, marking their second consecutive day of inflows. Spot Solana (SOL) ETFs recorded $16.8 million in investments, clocking 20 days of successive inflows, according to Farside Investors.
The renewed demand for crypto ETFs reflects a “rebalancing phase” driven by geopolitical risk and “liquidity positioning,” as fundamental market drivers remain “constructive” despite the elevated uncertainty, according to Lacie Zhang, research analyst at Bitget Wallet.
The renewed ETF inflows and expanding stablecoin supply signal that “institutional buyers are absorbing supply, supporting a near-term rebound,” Zhang told Cointelegraph, adding:
“In this setup, Bitcoin has room to push toward $105,000, while Ethereum could test $3,600, as traders balance inflation risks with crypto’s deflationary characteristics and long-term adoption narrative.”
Related: $11B Bitcoin whale sells $330M ETH, opens massive $748M longs in top cryptos
Crypto market demand surges on new year “clean-slate effect”
Meanwhile, a report from crypto platform Matrixport highlighted the “clean-slate effect” of the new year, which allowed cryptocurrency markets to reset as $30 billion of Bitcoin and Ether futures leverage unwound since the $19 billion market crash at the beginning of October.
“Entering 2026, positioning is far leaner, speculative excess has been flushed out, and without the weight of crowded trades, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies now have room to follow their natural trajectory, which may well be higher,” wrote Matrixport in a Monday X post.
Still, the industry’s most successful traders by returns, tracked as “smart money” traders on Nansen, continue betting on Bitcoin’s price decline.
Smart money traders were net short on Bitcoin for $108 million, with nearly $19 million in net short positions added during the past 24 hours, according to crypto intelligence platform Nansen.
However, the cohort was net long on Ether price for $712 million and net long on XRP (XRP) for $83 million, signaling upside expectations for these coins.
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Cointelegraph by Zoltan Vardai
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