Spot Bitcoin ETFs See Over $1B in Inflows as IBIT Shatters AUM Record

Spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew more than $1 billion in new investments on Thursday, marking one of their strongest single-day performances since their debut. The influx of capital coincided with bitcoin setting a fresh all-time high above $118,000.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the surge, surpassing $80 billion in assets under management (AUM) and becoming the fastest ETF in history to reach that milestone. It took IBIT only 374 days to hit the $80 billion mark—about one-fifth of the time it took the previous record-holder, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which achieved the same feat in 1,814 days, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

With this rapid growth, IBIT now stands as the 21st largest ETF worldwide, an impressive accomplishment for a fund launched just over a year ago in the wake of U.S. regulatory approval for spot bitcoin ETFs.

Thursday’s $1 billion inflow represents only the fourth instance of spot bitcoin ETFs attracting such a large single-day total. The last time flows reached this magnitude was in January when U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office, following two similar spikes in November 2024 after the U.S. election.

The rising popularity of these funds reflects increasing investor interest in gaining direct exposure to bitcoin through traditional brokerage accounts. Spot bitcoin ETFs provide a more accessible pathway for both institutional and retail investors, especially those cautious about navigating custody and regulatory complexities in the crypto market.

Meanwhile, President Trump’s media company has filed to launch another spot bitcoin ETF under the Truth Social brand, though it still awaits approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other proposed ETFs aiming to track assets like Solana (SOL), XRP, and several additional cryptocurrencies also remain under regulatory review, with approvals yet to be granted.