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For 71 consecutive days, BlackRock Inc.’s Bitcoin fund experienced an impressive streak, accumulating nearly $18 billion in one of the most significant exchange-traded fund launches in history. However, investor interest has waned as the fervor surrounding cryptocurrencies subsided.
Data compiled by Bloomberg reveals that daily inflows into the ETF, identified by the ticker IBIT, dwindled to virtually zero on Wednesday. Throughout April, IBIT has garnered a net inflow of $1.5 billion.
IBIT’s achievement marks a notable shift in the crypto market sentiment, following the ETF-induced excitement that propelled Bitcoin to an all-time high of nearly $74,000 in March. Since then, the original cryptocurrency has declined by nearly 15%, and the much-anticipated “halving” event on April 20 failed to deliver an immediate boost.
Nevertheless, these new investment vehicles have left a significant mark on the crypto landscape. Collectively, they have attracted approximately $54 billion, introducing Bitcoin into the portfolios of potentially millions of investors. Hong Kong, positioning itself as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction, is preparing to debut its first listings of Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, with other markets likely to follow suit.
Despite the halt in net inflows, IBIT is swiftly closing the gap on Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, the current market leader. On Wednesday alone, approximately $130 million flowed out of GBTC, bringing total outflows for the year to $17 billion, according to Bloomberg data.
GBTC, identified by the ticker GBTC, imposes a management fee of 1.5%, the highest among the cohort of funds launched in early January. The launch of ETFs in Hong Kong may intensify the fee competition that has exerted pressure on GBTC.
Rebecca Sin, an ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, suggested that the launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong, coupled with issuers waiving management fees, might lead to additional outflows, potentially indicating further changes in market dynamics.
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