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Bitcoin ETFs See Institutional Ownership Multiply 55x In Less Than A Year

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The institutional adoption of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has experienced an unprecedented surge in the past 11 months, underscoring a tectonic shift in the way traditional investors interact with digital assets.

Bitwise data indicates that the number of institutional holders of US spot Bitcoin ETFs has increased by nearly 55 times – from 61 in March 2024 to 3,323 by mid-February 2025. This rapid ascent indicates a heightened desire for Bitcoin exposure through regulated financial instruments.

An Immense Rise In Institutional Involvement

This demonstrates a high level of confidence in the asset class, as Wall Street titans and global financial entities have substantially increased their Bitcoin ETF holdings.

Goldman Sachs has nearly doubled its investment, now possessing over 24 million shares valued at approximately $1.35 billion—a 89% increase from previous figures.

Millennium Management was not far behind, increasing its holdings by 116% to over 23 million shares, which are valued at approximately $1.32 billion.

Additionally, sovereign wealth funds have entered the market. Abu Dhabi Sovereign Wealth Fund acquired over 8 million shares, which equates to a $461 million investment in Bitcoin ETFs.

Major financial institutions’ actions suggest that they regard Bitcoin as a legitimate asset for long-term investment strategies.

Bitcoin ETF Market Surpasses $56 Billion

The total assets under management (AUM) for US-traded spot Bitcoin ETFs have increased significantly as institutional demand continues to rise. These ETFs collectively oversee nearly $57 billion in assets. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF is the leading player in this sector, with a total AUM of over $56 billion. This establishes it as the dominant force in the industry.

Bitcoin is currently trading at $97,202. Chart: TradingView

Bitcoin ETFs currently have in their disposal around 1.35 million BTCs, which further solidifies their market influence. The rapid accumulation of Bitcoin by these funds indicates that digital assets are becoming more widely accepted and adopted within traditional financial systems.

Image: Global Finance Magazine

Implications For The Crypto Market

The rapid rise in Bitcoin ETFs highlights a larger institutional trend towards digital assets. With wider exposure through regulated products, Bitcoin may gain stability and reputation, which would entice hedge funds, pension funds, and even individual investors to make additional investments.

Additionally, market liquidity increases and may lessen volatility as institutions amass more Bitcoin through ETFs. The long-term prospects for Bitcoin’s price and uptake are getting better as demand rises.

The Road Ahead For Bitcoin ETFs

As the institutional embrace of Bitcoin accelerates, the next phase will likely see continued expansion and regulatory developments. More institutional financial firms could follow suit, further legitimizing the crypto’s role in diversified investment portfolios.

Featured image from Reuters, chart from TradingView





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Gold Keeps Outperforming Bitcoin Amid Trump’s Trade War Chaos

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Bitcoin (BTC) has long been touted as “digital gold.” However, as the global economy reels from escalating trade war tensions under Trump’s second term, institutional investors are fleeing to the real thing.

A recent Bank of America (BofA) survey found that 58% of fund managers view gold as the best-performing haven in a trade war—leaving Bitcoin with only a 3% preference.

Bitcoin’s Haven Status Faces a Reality Check

Gold is proving its dominance as the crisis asset of choice while Bitcoin struggles to hold its ground. This comes amid rising geopolitical risks, the ballooning US deficit, and uncertainty driving capital flight.

“In a recent Bank of America survey, 58% of fund managers said gold performs best in a trade war. This compares to just 9% for 30-year Treasury Bonds and 3% for Bitcoin,” The Kobeissi Letter noted.

Survey of Gold vs. Bitcoin during trade wars
Survey of Gold vs. Bitcoin during trade wars. Source: Bank of America

For years, Bitcoin advocates have championed it as a hedge against economic instability. Yet, in 2025’s volatile macro environment, Bitcoin struggles to earn institutional investors’ full trust.

The Bank of America survey reflects this status, with long-term US Treasury bonds and even the US dollar losing appeal as trade wars and fiscal dysfunction shake market confidence.

The US deficit crisis—now projected to exceed $1.8 trillion—has further eroded confidence in traditional safe havens like US Treasuries.

“This is what happens when the global reserve currency no longer behaves as the global reserve currency,” a trader quipped in a post.

However, instead of looking to Bitcoin as an alternative, institutions are overwhelmingly choosing gold, doubling physical gold purchases to record levels.

Gold vs. Bitcoin. Source
Gold vs. Bitcoin. Source: TradingView

Barriers To Bitcoin Institutional Adoption

Despite its fixed supply and decentralization, Bitcoin’s short-term volatility remains a key barrier to institutional adoption as a true safe-haven asset.

While some traders still view Bitcoin as a long-term store of value, it lacks the immediate liquidity and risk-averse appeal that gold provides during crises.

Further, President Trump is expected to announce sweeping new tariffs on “Liberation Day.” Experts flag the event as a potential trigger for extreme market volatility.

“April 2nd is similar to election night. It is the biggest event of the year by an order of magnitude. 10x more important than any FOMC, which is a lot. And anything can happen, “Alex Krüger predicted.

Trade tensions have historically driven capital into safe-haven assets. With this announcement looming, investors preemptively position themselves again, favoring gold over Bitcoin.

“Gold’s no longer just a hedge against inflation; it’s being treated as the hedge against everything: geopolitical risk, de-globalization, fiscal dysfunction, and now, weaponized trade. When 58% of fund managers say gold is the top performer in a trade war, that’s not just sentiment that’s allocation flow. When even long bonds and the dollar take a back seat, it’s a signal: the old playbook is being rewritten. In a world of rising tariffs, FX tension, and twin deficits, gold might be the only politically neutral store of value left,” trader Billy AU observed.

Despite Bitcoin’s struggle to capture institutional safe-haven flows in 2025, its long-term narrative remains intact.

Specifically, the global reserve currency system is changing, US debt concerns are mounting, and monetary policies continue to shift. Despite all these, Bitcoin’s value proposition as a censorship-resistant, borderless asset is still relevant.

However, in the short term, its volatility and lack of widespread institutional adoption as a crisis hedge mean gold is taking the lead.

For Bitcoin believers, the key question is not whether Bitcoin will one day challenge gold but how long institutions will adopt it as a flight-to-safety asset.

Until then, gold remains the undisputed king in times of economic turmoil. Meanwhile, Bitcoin (BTC exchange-traded funds notwithstanding) fights to prove its place in the next financial paradigm shift.

“The ETF demand was real, but some of it was purely for arbitrage…There was a genuine demand for owning BTC, just not as much as we were led to believe,” analyst Kyle Chassé said recently.

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.



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Why Bitcoin Seasoned Investors Are Accumulating — Analyst Evaluates BTC’s Current Phase

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Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

The cryptocurrency market has not had a clear direction in 2025, reflecting the uncertain condition of the digital asset industry. Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, is currently 24% away from its record-high price of $108,786 reached in January 2025.

With the premier cryptocurrency steadily drifting away from its all-time high, there have been questions about what phase of the cycle the market is currently in. Interestingly, recent on-chain data offers some insight into the current state of the Bitcoin market and the reaction of the participants.

Are Seasoned BTC Investors Anticipating A Price Surge?

In a Quicktake post on the CryptoQuant platform, analyst Axel Adler Jr. shared an analysis of the current Bitcoin cycle, offering insight into the behavior of an important group of investors. According to the online pundit, seasoned BTC players are back to accumulating the flagship cryptocurrency.

Adler Jr. revealed that the experienced BTC investors have been involved in four phases of accumulation (January 2023, October 2023, October 2024, March 2025) in the current cycle. On the flip side, the selling activity of these market participants has reached four distinct peaks, including January 2024, April 2024, July 2024, and January 2025.

The relevant on-chain indicator here is the Value Days Destroyed (VDD) metric, which tracks the spending behaviour of long-term investors. The chart below shows that the VDD metric has been steadily declining since the start of 2025.

Bitcoin

Source: CryptoQuant

Using the chart as a basis, Adler Jr. mentioned that three major features define the current phase of the Bitcoin cycle. Firstly, the seasoned investors, who were actively distributing their BTC at local peaks, have now shifted their strategy toward holding and accumulating their coins.

Additionally, the Value Days Destroyed metric suggests an absence of significant selling pressure, which means that the experienced traders are skeptical about profit at the current Bitcoin price. Moreover, periods of low VDD values have historically preceded significant upward price movements, as investors accumulate in anticipation of a price surge.

Ultimately, this positive shift in the behavior of seasoned Bitcoin holders suggests that there might be room for further price growth for Bitcoin in the medium term. 

Bitcoin Price At A Glance

As of this writing, the price of BTC sits at around $83,200, with an over 2% decline in the past 24 hours. According to data from CoinGecko, the flagship cryptocurrency is also down by about 2% on the weekly timeframe.

Bitcoin

BTC price reclaims $83,000 level on the daily timeframe | Source: BTCUSDT chart on TradingView

Featured image created by DALL-E, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.



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8,000 Dormant Bitcoin Suddenly Move: What’s Next For The Market?

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Popular CryptoQuant analyst Maartunn reports that 8,000 Bitcoin (BTC) which have been dormant for five to seven years have been moved suddenly, adding to current bearish concerns in the crypto. This development comes after a rather adventurous week as BTC prices struggled to break above $89,000, following an initial steady bullish climb, before succumbing to heavy selling pressures driven by US President Donald Trump’s hawkish tariff policy.

$674 Million In Old BTC Transfers In Single Block – Cause For Alarm?

The Spent Output Age Bands is a crucial metric to measure how long Bitcoin tokens remain inactive before moving. According to Maartuun in an X post, this metric has recently revealed that 8,000 BTC worth $674 million that was last transferred between 2018 and 2020 have been moved recently in a single block drawing significant market attention.

This transfer follows a string of recent activations of dormant Bitcoin stashes. On March 24, a 14-year inactive Bitcoin wallet suddenly moved 100 Bitcoin valued at $8.5 million. Meanwhile, in early March, six ancient Bitcoin wallets also transferred nearly 250 BTC worth $22 million.

Bitcoin

Notably, the most recent transaction reported by Maartuun is of far larger size with potentially strong implications for an uncertain Bitcoin market. Generally, a movement of such a large amount of BTC from long-term dormancy is usually interpreted as a signal for incoming selling pressure leading to major price corrections.

However, there are other potential non-bearish motives behind such transactions such as internal wallet shuffling by institutional investors or large holders as well as a cold storage reorganization. Currently, the owners of the new wallets receiving the 8000 is unknown thus reducing the potential of a bearish reaction from BTC holders.

Bitcoin Price Overview

In the last day, Bitcoin prices declined by 4.00% after the US Government announced intentions to impose a 25% tariff on auto imports and goods from China, Mexico, and Canada starting from April 3. This marks the latest negative reaction of the crypto market to President Trump’s international trade policies following similar incidents in early February and mid-March.

These measures by the Donald Trump administration are flaming fears of a potential economic slowdown which could further push high-risk assets such as BTC out of investors’ portfolios leading to a further downside.

At press time, Bitcoin currently trades at $83,693 reflecting a decline of 0.72% and 2.53% in the last seven and 30 days respectively. Meanwhile, the asset’s daily trading volume is up by 19.38% and is valued at $31.58 billion. The BTC market cap now stands at $1.66 trillion and still represents a dominant 61.1% of the total crypto market.

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BTC trading at $83,727 on the daily chart | Source: BTCUSDT chart on Tradingview.com



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