Bitcoin ETF inflows hit highest level since February
Spot bitcoin ETFs pulled in $471 million on April 6, the 6th-largest inflow of 2026, as prediction markets price little near-term Fed movement.
What to know:
- U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs saw about $471 million in net inflows on April 6, their strongest daily intake in more than a month, even as bitcoin hovered around $68,780.
- Robust ETF demand is helping to offset weak spot buying and selling by large holders, effectively anchoring bitcoin’s price below the $70,000 level.
- New research suggests bitcoin has shifted from lagging to leading global monetary policy, with ETF-driven institutional flows now front-running expected central bank moves rather than reacting to them.
These high inflows come as bitcoin continues to stall below $70,000, with weak spot demand and distribution by large holders capping upside. ETFs have increasingly offset that pressure, acting as a primary source of marginal buying.
Macro signals offer limited direction. Markets are pricing a 98% probability that the Federal Reserve will hold rates steady at its April meeting, according to Polymarket data, with minimal expectations for near-term cuts or hikes.
Bitcoin’s relationship with global monetary policy may be shifting, with ETFs changing not just the scale of demand but its timing.
A recent Binance Research report finds bitcoin’s correlation with its Global Easing Breadth Index, which tracks 41 central banks, has turned sharply negative since 2024, the same year U.S. spot ETFs were approved. Before then, bitcoin tended to follow easing cycles with a lag. That relationship has now flipped, with the inverse effect nearly three times stronger.
